JAY — U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin are urging Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to quickly approve a petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance for the 300 workers at Verso Paper Corp., who are expected to lose their jobs this year.

In a letter to Perez on Wednesday, the three attributed the layoffs to foreign competition.

“Shrinking demand attributable to foreign competition is forcing Verso Paper Corporation to scale back its annual production of coated paper and, consequently, its workforce,” the letter said. “Given the rural location of the Jay mill and the closures in recent years of other paper mills in the region, the laid-off workers face an enormous hurdle in identifying and securing alternative employment. Many may require retraining for other emerging occupations, making it crucial that these workers receive certification under the TAA program.”

Collins, King and Poliquin asked the secretary to review the application in a timely manner “to ensure that the workers receive the assistance they need to obtain work and maintain their financial stability.”