DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-85,865

HARLAND CLARKE CORP.
BASE STOCK PLANT/SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
INCLUDING ON-SITE LEASED WORKERS FROM
ACCOUNT TEMPS, ROBERT HALF TECHNOLOGIES, OFFICE TEAM,
ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES, TRI-STARR PERSONNEL, SPERIDIAN,
TECHNISOURCE/RANDSTAD, KFORCE, FANUEIL, AND HAWKINS PERSONNEL
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

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 March 6, 2015, resulted
in a negative determination, issued on April 30, 2015, that was
based on no import increase and/or shift in production to a
foreign country. The determination was applicable to workers and
former workers of Harland Clarke Corp., Base Stock Plant/Specialty
Products, including on-site leased workers from Account Temps,
Robert Half Technologies, Office Team, Accounting Principles, Tri-
Starr Personnel, Speridian, Technisource/Randstad, Kforce, Fanueil,
and Hawkins Personnel, San Antonio, Texas.
The workers’ firm is engaged in activities related to the
production of checks and check products.
Based on information reviewed during the reconsideration
investigation, the Department of Labor determines that imports of
articles, shifts in production abroad, or acquisitions of articles
did not contribute importantly to worker separations. Furthermore
the worker group did not qualify as a secondary worker or was
affirmed in a final determination by the United States
International Trade Commission.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that imports of articles like or directly
competitive with the articles produced by Harland Clarke Corp.,
Base Stock Plant/Specialty Products, San Antonio, Texas have not
increased.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the firm did not shift the production
of checks and check products or a like or directly competitive
article to a foreign country or acquire checks and check products
or a like or directly competitive article from a foreign country.
With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that Harland Clarke Corp., Base Stock
Plant/Specialty Products, San Antonio, Texas 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 Harland Clarke Corp., Base Stock
Plant/Specialty Products, San Antonio, Texas does not act as a
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).
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 Harland
Clarke Corp., Base Stock Plant/Specialty Products, including on-
site leased workers from Account Temps, Robert Half Technologies,
Office Team, Accounting Principles, Tri-Starr Personnel, Speridian,
Technisource/Randstad, Kforce, Fanueil, and Hawkins Personnel, San
Antonio, Texas, who were engaged in employment related to the
production of checks and check products to apply for adjustment
assistance, in accordance with Section 223 of the Act, 19 U.S.C. §
2273.

Signed in Washington, D.C. this 19th day of January, 2016


/s/Hope D. Kinglock
______________________________
HOPE D. KINGLOCK
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance





DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-85,865

HARLAND CLARKE CORP.
BASE STOCK PLANT/SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
INCLUDING ON-SITE LEASED WORKERS FROM
ACCOUNT TEMPS, ROBERT HALF TECHNOLOGIES, OFFICE TEAM,
ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES, TRI-STARR PERSONNEL, SPERDIAN,
TECHNISOURCE/RANDSTAD, KFORCE, FANUEIL, AND HAWKINS PERSONNEL
SAN ANTONIO, 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 ("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 on March 6, 2015 on behalf of workers of Harland Clarke
Corp., Base Stock Plant/Specialty Products, San Antonio,
Texas. The worker group includes on-site leased workers from
Account Temps, Robert Half Technologies, Office Team, Accounting
Principles, Tri-Starr Personnel, Sperdian, Technisource/
Randstad, Kforce, Fanueil, and Hawkins Personnel. The workers'
firm is engaged in activities related to the production of check
base stock and check products.
The petitioner alleged that, "Production at the Harland
Clarke San Antonio facility has been reduced as a consequence
of the import of similar goods" which led to worker
separations or the threat thereof.
During the course of the investigation, information was
collected from the workers' firm, the petitioner, and a
dislocated worker.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(A)(iii), the
investigation revealed that imports of articles like or
directly competitive with the check base stock and check
products produced by the firm did not contribute importantly
to such workers' separation or the threat of separation.
Rather, the investigation confirmed that a change in
technology allowed for a more efficient method of output at
Harland Clarke plants across the United States resulting in
decreasing production at the subject firm. The investigation
also confirmed that sales were increasing during the relevant
period.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the subject firm did not shift the
production of check base stock or check products or like or
directly competitive articles to a foreign country.
The investigation revealed that Harland Clarke is not 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).
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 Harland Clarke
Corp., Base Stock Plant/Specialty Products, including on-site
leased workers from Account Temps, Robert Half Technologies,
Office Team, Accounting Principles, Tri-Starr Personnel,
Sperdian, Technisource/Randstad, Kforce, Fanueil, and Hawkins
Personnel, San Antonio, Texas engaged in activities related to
the production of check base stock and check products are
denied eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance under
Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and are also
denied eligibility to apply for alternative trade adjustment
assistance under Section 246 of the Trade Act of 1974, amended.

Signed in Washington, D.C. this 30th day of April 2015


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