PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to save jobs and boost the economy, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor Seth Harris for a tour of the Pilgrim Screw Corporation to meet with workers and discuss President Obama’s American Jobs Act, highlighting the inclusion of the Senator’s work sharing proposal. They were joined by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Representative Jim Langevin, and Director for the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Charles Fogarty.

Since the recession began, Senator Reed has been advocating legislation which bolsters state-based work sharing initiatives– like Rhode Island’s WorkShare program – that help firms who opt into the program retain workers by reducing employees’ weekly hours instead of laying them off.   His latest version of this legislation is the Layoff Prevention Act of 2011.

“Too many Rhode Islanders are still struggling to find work, and it is imperative that we do everything we can to help businesses save and create jobs.  Work sharing helps businesses retain skilled workers they have spent time and money to hire and train, keeps workers attached to the workplace and off the unemployment compensation rolls, and it should be expanded. I am pleased the President has included work sharing in his plan to get Americans back to work,” said Reed, whose previous legislation on work sharing served as the model for President Obama’s inclusion of the initiative in his Fiscal Year 2012 budget.   Reed’s legislation would reward states like Rhode Island which already have some level of layoff prevention programs.

Pilgrim Screw is a screw and fastener manufacturer that has been operating in Rhode Island for over 75 years.  Faced with the impact of the economic recession, the company was able to save over 35 jobs through the utilization of work sharing, enabling the business to keep highly-trained workers and prevent a lag in production at the same time.

Beyond Rhode Island, states that currently have work sharing laws include: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.

For more information on work sharing, you can visit Rhode Island Department of Labor’s website.