Petitioner Type: Union
Impact Date:
Filed Date: 03/24/2022
Most Recent Update: 06/27/2022
Determination Date: 06/27/2022
Expiration Date:
Employment and Training Administration
TA-W-98,236
GENON ENERGY SERVICES, LLC
CHESWICK POWER GENERATION STATION
SPRINGDALE, PENNSYLVANIA
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 Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) and Alternative Trade
Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) petition dated March 23, 2022 and
filed on March 24, 2022 by a Union Official, International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 29, on behalf of
former workers of GenOn Energy Services, LLC, Cheswick Power
Generation Station, Springdale, Pennsylvania. In accordance with
20 CFR 618.110 group of workers is defined as, ""¦including
teleworkers and staffed workers."
The group of workers is engaged in activities related to the
production of electricity utilizing coal.
The petitioner alleges that worker separations, or threats
thereof, were due to, "Sagging power generation sales and pricing
due to foreign competition in manufacturing: [A]merican
manufacturing companies relocating to foreign countries and
Canadian power being imported into the United States."
During the course of the investigation, the Department
collected information from the petitioner(s), the workers' firm,
and other relevant sources.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm has not experienced
a decline in sales or production. The investigation revealed
that the workers' firms' sales increased comparing the period
of April 2020 to March 2021 with the corresponding April 2021
to March 2022 period.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm did not shift
production of electricity to a foreign country.
With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that GenOn Energy Services, LLC, Cheswick
Power Generation Station, Springdale, Pennsylvania 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 GenOn Energy Services, LLC, Cheswick
Power Generation Station, Springdale, Pennsylvania does not act
as a Downstream Producer to a firm (or subdivision, whichever
is applicable) 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 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 GenOn Energy
Services, LLC, Cheswick Power Generation Station, Springdale,
Pennsylvania engaged in activities related to the production of
electricity 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 27th day of June, 2022
/s/ Hope D. Kinglock
_______________________
HOPE D. KINGLOCK
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance