DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-96,019

VERSO CORPORATION

DULUTH MILL

INCLUDING ON-SITE LEASED WORKERS FROM

PROJECT SERVICE, INC. (PSI)

DULUTH, MINNESOTA

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 June 29, 2020 by a State Workforce Office, on behalf of
workers Verso Corporation, Duluth Mill, including on-site leased
workers from Project Service, Inc. (PSI), Duluth, Minnesota
(hereafter referred as "Verso Corporation").

The workers' firm is engaged in activities related to the
production of supercalendered paper; used for magazines, newspaper
inserts, catalogs and direct mail inserts; and brown recycled
packaging products, both containerboard and kraft papers.

During the course of the investigation, information was
collected from the petitioner, the 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 supercalendered paper and brown recycled
packaging products by Verso Corporation have decreased.

Section 222(a)(2)(A)(ii) has been met because customer
imports of articles like or directly competitive with the article
produced by Verso Corporation 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 Verso
Corporation.

Conclusion

After careful review of the facts obtained in the
investigation, I determine that workers of Verso Corporation,
Duluth Mill, including on-site leased workers from Project
Service, Inc. (PSI), Duluth, Minnesota, who are engaged in
activities related to the production of supercalendered paper and
brown recycled packaging products, 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 Verso Corporation, Duluth Mill, including on-
site leased workers from Project Service, Inc. (PSI), Duluth,
Minnesota, who became totally or partially separated from
employment on or after June 26, 2019, 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 13th day of January, 2021


/s/ Hope D. Kinglock
_______________________
HOPE D. KINGLOCK

Certifying Officer, Office of

Trade Adjustment Assistance