DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-40,237

A & E PRODUCTS GROUP
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA


Negative Determination Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance

In accordance with Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
USC 2273) as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness
Act of 1988 (P. L. 100-418), the Department of Labor herein
presents the results of an investigation regarding certification
of eligi-bility to apply for worker adjustment assistance.
In order to make an affirmative determination and issue a
certification of eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance,
each of the group eligibility requirements of Section 222 of the
Act must be met:
(1) that a significant number or proportion of the workers
in the workers' firm, or an appropriate subdivision
thereof, have become totally or partially separated,
or are threatened to become totally or partially
separated;

(2) that sales or production, or both, of the firm or sub-
division have decreased absolutely; and

(3) that increases of imports of articles like or directly
competitive with articles produced by the firm or ap-
propriate subdivision have contributed importantly to
the separations, or threat thereof, and to the
absolute decline in sales or production.

The investigation was initiated on October 22, 2001, in
response to a petition filed on behalf of workers at A & E
Products Group, Forest City, North Carolina. The workers
produced plastic garment hangers.


The investigation revealed that criterion (3) has not been
met.
The subject firm does not import plastic garment hangers.
This case relates to a domestic consolidation by the
subject firm, which has lost sales and decided to close the one
of its two plants which was most distant from its customers.
The decreased sales of the subject firm may relate to the
increased shift of production of garments from this country to
offshore locations. Those garments produced offshore are then
imported into this country already mounted on hangers.
Workers at the subject firm have applied for eligibility
for NAFTA Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA 5354). A
determination on that case will be issued concurrently with
this.


Conclusion
After careful review, I determine that all workers A & E
Products Group, Forest City, North Carolina, are denied
eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance under Section 223
of the Trade Act of 1974.

Signed in Washington, D. C. this 19th day of March 2002.


/s/ Linda G. Poole
_____________________________
LINDA G. POOLE
Certifying Officer
Division of Trade Adjustment
Assistance