[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 24013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09753]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

[TA-W-83,194]


Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., (MSD), a Subsidiary of Merck & Co., 
Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania; Notice of Affirmative Determination 
Regarding Application for Reconsideration

    By application dated March 10, 2014, the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania requested administrative reconsideration of the negative 
determination regarding workers' eligibility to apply for Trade 
Adjustment Assistance (TAA) applicable to workers and former workers of 
the subject firm. The determination was issued on February 18, 2014 and 
the Department's Notice of determination was published in the Federal 
Register on March 14, 2014 (79 FR 14543). Workers at the subject firm 
are engaged in activities related to the production of pharmaceuticals 
and vaccines for human use.
    The negative determination was based on the Department's findings 
that the subject firm did not shift production of pharmaceuticals and 
vaccines to a foreign country (or acquire such production from a 
foreign country) and that imports of articles like or directly 
competitive with the pharmaceuticals and vaccines produced by the 
workers did not increase during the period under investigation.
    Pursuant to 29 CFR 90.18(c) reconsideration may be granted under 
the following circumstances:
    (1) If it appears on the basis of facts not previously considered 
that the determination complained of was erroneous;
    (2) If it appears that the determination complained of was based on 
a mistake in the determination of facts not previously considered; or
    (3) If in the opinion of the Certifying Officer, a 
misinterpretation of facts or of the law justified reconsideration of 
the decision.
    The request for reconsideration included information that indicates 
that the determination was based on facts not previously considered. 
The request for reconsideration stated that the worker group at the 
subject facility consists of three separately identifiable worker sub-
groups (research and development, manufacturing, and global support 
networks), that the scope of the initial investigation was ``overly 
narrow'' because workers in the research and development sub-group and/
or the global support networks sub-group ``may be engaged in activities 
totally separate and unrelated from'' activities of the manufacturing 
sub-group. The request for reconsideration included supporting 
documents.
    The Department has carefully reviewed the request for 
reconsideration, including the attachments, and the existing record, 
and has determined that the Department will conduct further 
investigation to determine if the workers meet the eligibility 
requirements of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.

Conclusion

    After careful review of the application, I conclude that the claim 
is of sufficient weight to justify reconsideration of the U.S. 
Department of Labor's prior decision. The application is, therefore, 
granted.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 8th day of April, 2014.
Del Min Amy Chen,
Certifying Officer, Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. 2014-09753 Filed 4-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P