[§394B-10]  Dislocated worker allowance. (a)  Whenever a closing, partial closing, or relocation occurs, the employershall provide each affected employee who applies for and is found eligible forunemployment compensation benefits for a particular week under chapter 383 andbased in whole or in part upon employment in the closed, partial closed, orrelocated plant a payment, denominated a dislocated worker allowance as asupplement to any unemployment compensation benefit received for that week.

(b)  The amount of such weekly payment shall bethe difference between the employee's average weekly wages (including anypayments for periods of compensated leave) prior to the closing (partialclosing or relocation) and the weekly unemployment compensation benefitsreceived.

(c)  For any one closing, partial closing, orrelocation, an otherwise eligible employee ceases to be eligible for adislocated worker allowance once he or she has received such an allowance fromthe covered employer for a total of four weeks.

(d)  Receipt of a dislocated employee allowanceshall not affect an employee's eligibility for unemployment compensationbenefits for any week, or the amount of such benefits.

(e)  The director of labor and industrialrelations may adopt, amend, or repeal such rules and regulations as thedirector deems necessary or suitable for the administration of this chapter. The rules and regulations when prescribed in accordance with chapter 91 shallhave the force and effect of law and shall be enforced in the same manner asthis chapter.

(f)  Notwithstanding the provisions of thissection, any contractual agreement arrived at through a collective bargainingprocess that results in providing supplemental unemployment compensationbenefits for an affected employee shall supersede, with respect to thatemployee, the requirements of this section. [L 1987, c 377, pt of §3]