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July 18, 2007

Workforce official to speak to Quaker Fabric workers

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Suzanne M. Bump, the secretary of Labor and Workforce Development in Massachusetts, will speak to former employees of Quaker Fabric Corp. on Friday.

Quaker, a former textile juggernaut, laid off its 900 employees two weeks ago after defaulting on more than $30 million in loans. At least 62 Rhode Island residents lost their jobs when the plant suspended operations.

Bump is scheduled to speak to hundreds of those workers at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow at a special job fair at Bristol Community College, organized by the Fall River Career Center.

More than 100 companies and social service organizations will attend the job fair for the displaced workers, many of whom speak limited English and worked at Quaker for decades.

Bump, a former state representative, was appointed to her cabinet post in January.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 11:22 AM | Permalink

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