DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-85,903

ACCENTURE LLP
VERIZON CUSTOMER CARE AND OPERATIONS (CCO)
WORKING ON-SITE AT
VERIZON BUSINESS NETWORK SERVICES
GLOBAL DATA LINK (GDL) SUPPORT
RICHARDSON, TEXAS

TA-W-85,903A

ACCENTURE LLP
VERIZON CUSTOMER CARE AND OPERATIONS (CCO)
WORKING ON-SITE AT
VERIZON BUSINESS NETWORK SERVICES
ORDER ENTRY SUPPORT
RICHARDSON, TEXAS

Notice of Revised 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 26, 2015,
resulted in a negative determination, issued on April 28, 2015,
that was based on the firm not producing an article. The
determination was applicable to workers and former workers of
Verizon Communications, Global Network Operations, Project
Management, including on-site leased workers from Accenture,
Richardson, Texas. An application for Reconsideration was
submitted on May 26, 2015. A determination on the application
for reconsideration was not made prior to TAARA 2015 enactment.

The workers’ firm is engaged in activities related to
the supply of network services as initially determined. More
specifically, the workers are engaged in activities related
to the supply of outsourced production support SME services
which may include but are not limited to the following:
customer service assurance, order management, circuit
provisioning, and billing inquiry activities for Verizon.

Based on information reviewed during the reconsideration
investigation, the worker group is identified as workers of
Accenture LLP, Verizon Customer Care and Operations (CCO),
working on-site at Verizon Business Network Services, Global
Data Link (GDL) Support, Richardson, Texas (TA-W-85,903);
and Accenture LLP, Verizon Customer Care and Operations
(CCO), working on-site at Verizon Business Network Services,
Order Entry Support, Richardson, Texas (TA-W-85,903A).

During the course of the review, information was collected
from the workers’ firm, the customer of the workers’ firm
(Verizon), and the petitioners.

Section 222(a)(1) has been met because a significant number
or proportion of the workers in such workers’ firm have
become totally or partially separated, or are threatened to
become totally or partially separated.

Section 222(a)(2)(B) has been met because the workers’ firm
has shifted to a foreign country the supply of a service
like or directly competitive with the service supplied by
the workers which contributed importantly to worker group
separations at Accenture LLP, Verizon Customer Care and
Operations (CCO).

Conclusion

After careful review, I determine that workers of Accenture
LLP, Verizon Customer Care and Operations (CCO), working
on-site at Verizon Business Network Services, Global Data
Link (GDL) Support, Richardson, Texas (TA-W-85,903), and
Accenture LLP, Verizon Customer Care and Operations (CCO),
working on-site at Verizon Business Network Services, Order
Entry Support, Richardson, Texas (TA-W-85,903A), who are
engaged in activities related to the supply of outsourced
production support SME services, meet the worker group
certification criteria under Section 222(a) of the Act,
19 U.S.C. § 2272(a). In accordance with Section 223 of
the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2273, I make the following
certification:

"All workers of Accenture LLP, Verizon Customer Care and
Operations (CCO), working on-site at Verizon Business
Network Services, Global Data Link (GDL) Support, Richardson,
Texas (TA-W-85,903), and Accenture LLP, Verizon Customer Care
and Operations (CCO), working on-site at Verizon Business
Network Services, Order Entry Support, Richardson, Texas
(TA-W-85,903A), who became totally or partially separated
from employment on or after March 25, 2014, through two years
from the date of certification, and all workers in the group
threatened with total or partial separation from employment
on the date of certification through two years from the date
of certification, are eligible to apply for adjustment
assistance under Chapter 2 of Title II of the Trade Act
of 1974, as amended.”

Signed in Washington, D.C., this 1st day of September, 2015


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




DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
TA-W-85,903

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS
GLOBAL NETWORK OPERATIONS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
INCLUDING ON-SITE LEASED WORKERS FROM ACCENTURE
RICHARDSON, TEXAS

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 on March 26, 2015 on behalf of workers of Verizon
Communications, Global Network Operations, Project Management,
including on-site leased workers from Accenture, Richardson, Texas.
The workers' firm is engaged in activities related to the supply of
network services.
Workers of Verizon Communications, Global Network Operations,
Project Management, Richardson, Texas, are considered separately
identifiable from workers certified under TA-W-81,962, in the
Verizon Business Network Services, Inc., Lead Specialist-Technical
Service (LS-TS) and Manager-Technical Service (M-TS) group, located
at the same location in Richardson, Texas. That certification
expired on October 25, 2014.
The petitioner alleged that worker separations were caused
by a shift of work to a foreign country. During the course of the
investigation, information was collected from the workers' firm.
The investigation revealed that Verizon Communications, Global
Network Operations, Project Management, Richardson, Texas, 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
network 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 Verizon
Communications, Global Network Operations, Project Management,
including on-site leased workers from Accenture, Richardson, Texas,
engaged in activities related to the supply of network 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 28th day of April 2015.

/s/Michael W. Jaffe

______________________________
MICHAEL W. JAFFE
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance