Petitioner Type: State
Impact Date:
Filed Date: 04/11/2022
Most Recent Update: 06/23/2022
Determination Date: 06/23/2022
Expiration Date:
Employment and Training Administration
TA-W-98,255
LEISURE POOLS USA TRADING, INC.
DBA EXPLORE INDUSTRIES SERVICES USA 1
INTEGRA POOL COVERS DIVISION
BURLINGTON, IOWA
Negative Determinations Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance
And Alternative 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) petition dated April 8,
2022 and filed on April 11, 2022 by a State Workforce Agency, on
behalf of former workers of Leisure Pools USA Trading, Inc., dba
Explore Industries Services USA 1, Integra Pool Covers division,
Burlington, Iowa (hereafter referred to as the "group of
workers"). In accordance with 20 CFR 618.110 a group of workers is
defined as, ""¦including teleworkers and staffed workers."
The group of workers is engaged in activities related to the
production of vinyl swimming pool covers.
The petition alleges that worker separations occurred because
rising material costs and global supply chain issues. possibly due
to increased imports of polyvinyl chlorides.
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)(ii) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that imports of articles like or directly
competitive with the vinyl swimming pool covers produced by the
workers' firm have not increased during the relevant period.
Neither the workers' firm nor its major declining customer(s)
increased imports of vinyl swimming pool covers, or like or
directly competitive articles, during the relevant period. Imports
were not reported.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm did not shift
production of vinyl swimming pool covers, or like or directly
competitive articles, to a foreign country.
With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm 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 (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 ATAA, the group of workers must be
certified eligible to apply for 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 Leisure Pools USA
Trading, Inc., dba Explore Industries Services USA 1, Integra
Pool Covers division, Burlington, Iowa, engaged in activities
related to the production of vinyl swimming pool covers 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 23rd day of June, 2022
/s/ Hope D. Kinglock
_______________________
HOPE D. KINGLOCK
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance