{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/former-verso-paper-worker-maine-testifies-senate-aging-committee-hearing", "Former Verso Paper Worker from Maine Testifies at Senate Aging Committee Hearing", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "ME", "Susan Collins", "C001035", "www.collins.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Click HERE for a high-resolution photo of Senator Collins and Mr. Jellison\nClick HERE for a copy of Senator Collins\u2019 opening statement\nClick HERE to watch Senator Collins\u2019 opening remarks\nClick HERE to watch Senator Collins questioning Mr. Jellison\nNote to assignment editors and news directors: For high-quality video, click HERE for b-roll of Senator Collins meeting Mr. Jellison, click HERE for video of Mr. Jellison\u2019s testimony, click HERE for video of Senator Collins\u2019 opening statement, and click HERE for video of Senator Collins questioning Mr. Jellison\nWashington, D.C. -\u00a0Ralph Jellison, from Orland, Maine, had worked at the Verso Paper Mill (formerly Champion Paper) in Bucksport for 27 years when the company announced in 2014 that the mill would close.\n\u201cMy life was turned upside down when I was 52 years old,\u201d Mr. Jellison told the Senate Aging Committee today.\u00a0 \u201cThe job market had been flooded with hundreds of unemployed mill workers\u2026 I live in a small town where there are not a whole lot of options for me to just go out and find another job that paid as well as the mill.\u201d\n\u00a0\nSenator Susan Collins, Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, invited Mr. Jellison to Washington to share his experience during a hearing focused on the challenges and opportunities facing America\u2019s aging workforce.\u00a0 Following the mill closure, Mr. Jellison enrolled in a retraining program at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, eventually securing a job at Hinckley Yachts and later at the GAC Chemical Corporation in Searsport.\n\u00a0\n\u201cThis opportunity to go back to school has brought me to this point in my life.\u00a0 We\u2019re back on our feet and I\u2019m providing for my family again.\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell you how good that makes me feel,\u201d said Mr. Jellison.\n\u00a0\nWith Americans living and working longer, the workplace has transformed in an unprecedented way. For the past year, Senator Collins\u2019 committee has been examining the nation\u2019s aging workforce, and today released its report, \u201cAmerica\u2019s Aging Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges.\u201d\u00a0 The report finds that the number of Americans over age 55 in the labor force is projected to increase from 35.7 million in 2016 to 42.1 million in 2026, and, by 2026, aging workers will make up nearly one quarter of the labor force.\u00a0 At work, older Americans are productive, and the business case for hiring, retaining, and supporting older workers is strong.\u00a0 Yet, challenges also exist \u2013 including age discrimination, inadequate training opportunities, working while managing health conditions and disabilities, balancing caregiving responsibilities with work, and preparing financially for retirement.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cThe aging of our population has transformed our nation\u2019s economy,\u201d said Senator Collins.\u00a0 \u201cAs older Americans enter and remain in the workforce in record numbers, they provide skills and experiences that are often unmatched; work ethic and principles that can be exemplary and vision that is uniquely informed by the past to frame the future.\u00a0 Ralph is an inspiring example of an older worker who faced extraordinary challenges, yet was able to take advantage of opportunities that helped him rebuild his life and continue to provide for his family and prepare for his retirement years ahead.\u201d\n\u00a0\nUnder Senator Collins\u2019 leadership, the Senate Aging Committee is committed to understanding, embracing, and addressing the opportunities and challenges facing older workers.\u00a0 The Committee seeks to ensure that older workers are able to thrive at work and adequately prepare for retirement.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nClick HERE to read the committee\u2019s report.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/former-verso-paper-worker-maine-testifies-senate-aging-committee-hearing"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9727729484438896, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}