DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-98,022

SYMBOL MATTRESS OF FLORIDA, INC.

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA

Negative Determinations Regarding Eligibility

To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance

And Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance

TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE

In accordance with Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, as
amended (the Act), 19 U.S.C. § 2273, the Department of Labor
(Department) 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 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 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
dated August 2, 2021 and filed on August 3, 2021 by a State
Workforce Office on behalf of former workers of Symbol Mattress
of Florida, Inc., Kissimmee, Florida (Symbol Mattress"“Kissimee).
Workers of Symbol Mattress"“Kissimee are engaged in the
production mattresses and foundations. The petitioner alleges
that increased imports of mattresses contributed to worker
separations at the subject firm.

During the course of the investigation, information was
collected from the petition, the workers' firm, and other
sources.

With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that Symbol Mattress"“Kissimee did not
experience either a sales decline or a production decline during
the relevant period (one-year period prior to the petition date).

With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm did not shift
production of like or directly articles to a foreign country.

With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that Symbol Mattress"“Kissimee 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), and 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), based on an increase in imports from, or a shift in
production to, Canada or Mexico.

ALTERNATIVE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE

In order for the Department to issue a certification of
eligibility to apply for Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance
(ATAA), the group of workers must be certified eligible to apply
for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). Because the petitioning
group of workers are denied eligibility to apply for TAA, the
group of workers cannot be certified eligible for ATAA.

Conclusion

After careful review of the facts obtained in the
investigation, I determine that all workers of Symbol Mattress of
Florida, Kissimmee, Florida, 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 21st day of September, 2021


/s/ Del-Min Amy Chen
_______________________
DEL-MIN AMY CHEN

Certifying Officer, Office of

Trade Adjustment Assistance