UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-98,249

FASTENAL COMPANY

SALES OFFICE

CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Negative Determination 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
("the 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 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 Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) and Alternative Trade
Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) petition dated April 7, 2022 and filed
on April 7, 2022 by a State Workforce Office, on behalf of former
workers of Fastenal Company, Sales Office, Cranston, Rhode
Island.

In accordance with 20 CFR 618.110 group of workers is defined
as, ""¦including teleworkers and staffed workers."

The workers are engaged in activities related to the
production, distribution, and sales of fasteners, cleaning
supplies, PPE, and hand and power tools.

The petition alleges that worker separations, or threats
thereof, were due to foreign trade because, firm and/or customer
imports of articles from a foreign country (China) - work
previously done in Rhode Island being done in and imported from
China.

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) and Section 222(b) of the Act,
the investigation revealed that Criterion (1) has not been met
because a significant number or proportion of the workers in such
workers' firm (or an appropriate subdivision of the firm, as
applicable) have not become totally or partially separated, nor
are they threatened to become totally or partially separated. The
investigation revealed that workers within the workers' firm were
not separated during the one-year period prior to the petition
date. Furthermore, there have been no worker separations, or
threats thereof, thereafter.

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 Fastenal Company,
Sales Office, Cranston, Rhode Island engaged in activities
related to the production, distribution, and sales of fasteners,
cleaning supplies, PPE, and hand and power tools 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 16th day of June, 2022


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

Certifying Officer, Office of

Trade Adjustment Assistance