DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-95,226

ELECTRIC RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURING COOPERATIVE, INC. (ERMCO)
A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF
ARKANSAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES, INC. (AECI)
INCLUDING ON-SITE LEASED WORKERS FROM HUGHES STAFFING, INC.
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

Certification Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Worker 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.
The group eligibility requirements for workers of a firm
under Section 222(a) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a), are
satisfied if the following criteria are met:
(1) 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; and

(2)(A)(i) the sales or production, or both, of such firm have
decreased absolutely; and

(ii)(I) imports of articles or services like or directly
competitive with articles produced or services supplied by
such firm have increased; and

(iii) the increase in imports 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.

The investigation was initiated in response to a petition
filed on September 27, 2019, by a state workforce office on
behalf of workers of Electric Research and Manufacturing
Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), including on-site
leased workers from Hughes Staffing, Inc., Little Rock,
Arkansas. The workers' firm is engaged in activities related
to the production of distribution transformers, Siemen's coils,
and core/coil assemblies. End uses for coils and core/coil
assemblies include incorporation into distribution transformers
and Siemen's regulators.
During the course of the investigation, information was
collected from the petitioner, workers' firm, and the major
declining customer(s) of the workers' firm.
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)(A)(i) has been met because the sales
and/or production of distribution transformers, Siemen's coils,
and core/coil assemblies by Electric Research and Manufacturing
Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO), Little Rock, Arkansas have
decreased absolutely.
Section 222(a)(2)(A)(ii) has been met because customer
imports of articles like or directly competitive with the
articles produced by Electric Research and Manufacturing
Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO), Little Rock, Arkansas have
increased.
Finally, Section 222(a)(2)(A)(iii) has been met because
increased customer imports contributed importantly to the
worker group separations and sales/production declines at
Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO),
Little Rock, Arkansas.
Conclusion
After careful review of the facts obtained in the
investigation, I determine that workers of Electric Research and
Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI),
including on-site leased workers from Hughes Staffing, Inc.,
Little Rock, Arkansas, who are engaged in activities related to
the production of distribution transformers, Siemen's coils, and
core/coil assemblies, 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 Electric Research and Manufacturing
Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), including
on-site leased workers from Hughes Staffing, Inc., Little
Rock, Arkansas, who became totally or partially separated
from employment on or after September 26, 2018, 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 25th day of February 2020.

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