DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-85,538

CENTURYLINK, INC.
BUSINESS SERVICE DELIVERY AND OPERATIONS CUSTOMER CARE
ORGANIZATION
A SUBSIDIARY OF QWEST CORPORATION
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON


Notice of Negative Determination
After Statutory Reconsideration

As required by the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization
Act of 2015 (TAARA 2015), which was enacted as Title IV of the
Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, Public Law No. 114-27,
section 405(a)(1)(A), the investigation into this petition was
reopened for a reconsideration investigation to apply the
requirements for worker group eligibility under chapter 2 of title
II of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the TAARA 2015, to the
facts of this petition (statutory reconsideration).
The initial investigation, initiated September 16, 2014,
resulted in a negative determination, issued on September 24, 2014,
that was based on no production of an article. The determination
was applicable to workers and former workers of CenturyLink, Inc.,
Business Service Delivery and Operations Customer Care
Organization, a subsidiary of Qwest Corporation, Seattle
Washington. The workers’ firm is engaged in activities related to
the supply of inbound call services and related customer support
services.
Based on information reviewed during the reconsideration
investigation, the Department of Labor determined that the
requirements for certification have not been met.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, the
investigation revealed imports of services like or directly
competitive with inbound call services and related customer
support services by CenturyLink, Inc., Business Service Delivery
and Operations Customer Care Organization, a subsidiary of Qwest
Corporation, Seattle Washington, have not increased.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the firm did not shift the supply of
inbound call services and related customer support services or a
like or directly competitive service to a foreign country or
acquire inbound call services and related customer support services
or like or directly competitive services from a foreign country.
With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that CenturyLink, Inc., Business Service
Delivery and Operations Customer Care Organization, a subsidiary
of Qwest Corporation, Seattle Washington is not a Supplier to a
firm that employed a group of workers who received a certification
of eligibility under Section 222(a) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. §
2272(a).

With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that CenturyLink, Inc., Business Service
Delivery and Operations Customer Care Organization, a subsidiary
of Qwest Corporation, Seattle Washington does not act as a
Downstream Producer to a firm (or subdivision, whichever is
applicable) that employed a group of workers who received a
certification of eligibility under Section 222(a) of the Act, 19
U.S.C. § 2272(a).
Finally, the group eligibility requirements under Section
222(e) of the Act, have not been satisfied either because Criterion
(1) has not been met since the workers’ firm has not been publicly
identified by name by the International Trade Commission as a
member of a domestic industry in an investigation resulting in an
affirmative finding of serious injury, market disruption, or
material injury, or threat thereof.

Conclusion
After careful review, I determine that the requirements of
Section 222 of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272, have not been met and,
therefore, deny the petition for group eligibility of CenturyLink,
Inc., Business Service Delivery and Operations Customer Care
Organization, a subsidiary of Qwest Corporation, Seattle
Washington, who were engaged in employment related to the supply of
inbound call services and related customer support services to
apply for adjustment assistance, in accordance with Section 223 of
the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2273.

Signed in Washington, D.C. this 18th day of March, 2016


/s/Jessica R. Webster
______________________________
JESSICA R. WEBSTER
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistanc




DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-85,538

CENTURYLINK, INC.
QUALITY ASSURANCE TEAM
A SUBSIDIARY OF QWEST CORPORATION
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Negative Determination 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 ("Act"), 19 U.S.C. § 2273, the Department of Labor herein
presents the results of an investigation regarding certification of
eligibility to apply for worker adjustment assistance.
Workers of a firm may be eligible for worker adjustment
assistance if they satisfy the criteria of subsection (a) and (b)
of Section 222 of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a) and (b). For the
Department of Labor to issue a certification for workers under
Section 222(a) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a), the following three
criteria must be met:
(1) The first criterion (set forth in Section 222(a)(1) of the
Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a)(1)) requires that a significant
number or proportion of the workers in such workers' firm, or
an appropriate subdivision of the firm, have become totally or
partially separated, or are threatened to become totally or
partially separated
(2) The second criterion (set forth in Section 222(a)(2) of the
Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a)(2)) may be satisfied in one of two
ways:
(A) Increased Imports Path:
(i) sales or production, or both, at the workers' firm must
have decreased absolutely, AND
(ii) imports of articles like or directly competitive with
articles produced by such firm or subdivision have
increased; and
(iii) the increase described in clause (ii) contributed
importantly to such workers' separation or threat of
separation and to the decline in the sales or
production of such firm or subdivision.

(B) Shift in Production Path:
(i) there has been a shift in production by such workers'
firm or subdivision to a foreign country of articles like
or directly competitive with articles which are produced
by such firm or subdivision; and
(ii)(I) the country to which the workers' firm has
shifted production of the articles is a party to a free
trade agreement with the United States;
(II)the country to which the workers' firm has
shifted production of the articles is a beneficiary
country under the Andean Trade Preference Act, African
Growth and Opportunity Act, or the Caribbean Basin
Economic Recovery Act; or
(III)there has been or is likely to be an increase in
imports of articles that are like or directly
competitive with articles which are or were produced by
such firm or subdivision.

For the Department to issue a secondary worker certification
under Section 222(b) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(b), to workers of
a Supplier or a Downstream Producer, the following criteria must be
met:
(1) a significant number or proportion of the workers in the
workers' firm or an appropriate subdivision of the firm
have become totally or partially separated, or are
threatened to become totally or partially separated;

(2) the workers' firm is a Supplier or Downstream Producer to
a firm that employed a group of workers who received a
certification of eligibility under Section 222(a) of the
Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a), and such supply or production
is related to the article that was the basis for such
certification; and

(3) either
(A) the workers' firm is a supplier and the component parts
it supplied to the firm described in paragraph (2)
accounted for at least 20 percent of the production or
sales of the workers' firm; or
(B) a loss of business by the workers' firm with the firm
described in paragraph (2) contributed importantly to the
workers' separation or threat of separation.


Section 222(c) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(c), defines the
terms "Supplier" and "Downstream Producer."
The investigation was initiated in response to a petition
filed by a State Workforce Official on September 16, 2014 on
behalf of workers of CenturyLink, Inc., Quality Assurance Team, a
subsidiary of Qwest Corporation, Seattle Washington. The workers'
firm is engaged in activities related to the supply of quality
assurance for call center services.
Workers of CenturyLink, Inc., Quality Assurance Team, a
subsidiary of Qwest Corporation, Seattle Washington, were
previously certified eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment
Assistance benefits under TA-W-81,564J which expired on June 20,
2014.
The petitioner alleged that worker separations were caused
by a shift of services to a foreign country. During the course of
the investigation, information was collected from the workers'
firm.
The investigation revealed that CenturyLink, Inc., Quality
Assurance Team, a subsidiary of Qwest Corporation, Seattle
Washington,, does not produce an article within the meaning of
Section 222(a) or Section 222(b) 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. The definition of a firm includes an individual
proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, association,
corporation (including a development corporation), business trust,
cooperative, trustee in bankruptcy, and receiver under decree of
any court.
During the investigation, the Department of Labor obtained
information that revealed that the workers' firm did not produce an
article; rather, the workers' firm supplied services related to
quality assurance for call center services.
In order for the Department to issue a certification of
eligibility to apply for alternative trade adjustment assistance
(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 obtained in the
investigation, I determine that all workers of CenturyLink, Inc.,
Quality Assurance Team, a subsidiary of Qwest Corporation,
Seattle Washington, engaged in activities related to the supply
of quality assurance for call center services 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 24th day of September 2014.

/s/Michael W. Jaffe
______________________________
MICHAEL W. JAFFE
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance