DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-55,397

VIP USA INC.
FORMERLY LEXINGTON SERVICES
HOTEL RESERVATION DIVISION
IRVING, TEXAS

Negative Determinations Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance
And Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance

In accordance with Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, as
amended (19 USC 2273), the Department of Labor herein presents the
results of an investigation regarding certification of eligibility
to apply for worker adjustment assistance.
The investigation was initiated on August 6, 2004 in response
to a petition filed by a state agency representative on behalf of
workers of VIP USA Inc., formerly Lexington Services, Hotel
Reservations Division, Irving, Texas. Workers at the subject firm
are employed as call center operators for the hotel reservation
industry. The employees are responsible for fielding calls from
new hotel customers to provide them with reservations.
The investigation revealed that VIP USA, Inc., formerly
Lexington Services, Hotel Reservation Division, Irving, Texas does
not produce an article within the meaning of Section 222(a)(2) of
the Act. In order to be considered eligible to apply for
adjustment assistance under Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974,
the worker group seeking certification (or on whose behalf
certification is being sought) must work for a "firm" or
appropriate subdivision that produces an article and there must be
a relationship between the workers' work and the article produced
by the workers' firm or appropriate subdivision. The hotel
reservations workers described above do not support a firm or
appropriate subdivision that produces an article domestically and
thus the worker group cannot be considered import impacted or
affected by a shift in production of an article.
In addition, in accordance with Section 246 the Trade Act of
1974 (26 USC 2813), as amended, the Department of Labor herein
presents the results of its investigation regarding certification
of eligibility to apply for alternative trade adjustment assistance
(ATAA) for older workers.
In order for the Department to issue a certification of
eligibility to apply for ATAA, the worker group must be certified
eligible to apply for trade adjustment assistance (TAA). Since the
workers are denied eligibility to apply for TAA, the workers cannot
be certified eligible for ATAA.







Conclusion
After careful review of the facts obtain in this
investigation, I determine that workers of VIP USA, Inc., formerly
Lexington Services, Hotel Reservation Division, Irving, Texas are
denied eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance under Section
223 of the Trade Act of 1974, and are also denied eligibility to
apply for alternative trade adjustment assistance under Section 246
of the Trade Act of 1974.
Signed in Washington, D.C. this 25th day of August 2004.
/s/ Linda G. Poole

______________________________
LINDA G. POOLE
Certifying Officer, Division of
Trade Adjustment Assistance