Who is eligible
You may be eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) determines your job was lost or threatened due to foreign trade.
Examples of how foreign trade can threaten your job:
- Increased imports.
- A shift in operations to certain countries.
- You work for a business that is a downstream producer of a TAA certified company. It supplies products or services to the certified company.
If you are laid off for 1 of these reasons, contact TAA staff at wataa@esd.wa.gov to begin the eligibility process.
Visit the USDOL's page on TAA eligibility to learn more.
How to file your petition and get a certification
We strongly recommend that you get help from a WorkSource TAA case manager to complete this process. Use the WorkSource locator tool to contact a TAA case manager in your area.
Step 1: Group certification
File a petition with USDOL. Only certain people can file petitions, such as:
- The TAA Program Operator, one-stop operators or partners, including state workforce agencies, such as the Employment Security Department; or the state dislocated-worker unit.
- A group of 2 or more petitioning workers.
- A union official or representative (you can ask for technical help from the Washington State Labor Council).
- A company official, such as the human resource manager.
The petition must show that a group of workers was affected by foreign trade. A single petition form covers requests for both TAA and ATAA or RTAA. USDOL will issue a certification if the group is eligible.
Complete and submit your petition
Download a petition in English (PDF 8.37MB) or Spanish (PDF 2.32MB). If you need help completing the petition, contact the Washington State TAA Program Operator.
Send the completed petition to the Washington State TAA Program Operator. Staff will file it with the USDOL for a determination.
Send your petition using the method that works best for you:
Fax
360-902-9662
Make sure you include a cover sheet labeled: "ATTN: Washington State TAA Program Operator"
TAA Petition
Employment Connections Division (EC)
Employment Security Department
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
Find answers to frequently asked questions about TAA petitions on the USDOL website.
Group certification petition determinations
Once your group files their petition, the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) investigates whether the company or a group of workers is eligible. USDOL will make a final decision, called a determination. USDOL will then notify the petitioner, the company and the state agency of its final decision. If USDOL decides the group or company is eligible, the certification will:
- Identify if the group will also be certified for ATAA or RTAA.
- Explain that the workers are now eligible to apply for TAA benefits.
- You can later request an amendment from USDOL to include additional workers.
You can learn the status of your petition on the USDOL website.
Step 2: Individual certification
After a group is certified, each worker may then individually apply for services and benefits.
We will mail you details about how to get scheduled for a TAA orientation. During the orientation, you will get a complete program overview, descriptions of the services available and answers to your questions.
How to appeal a determination
Appeal requests to USDOL need to:
- Be in writing.
- Include the TAA investigation number.
- Describe the affected job responsibilities for the workers included in the petition.
- Cite reasons why the workers consider the denial wrong. Use facts, interpretation of the facts, or the law itself.
- Be mailed within 30 days of a determination published in the Federal Register.
Send your appeal via U.S. mail (not UPS or FedEx) to:
TAA Petition Appeal
Employment Connections Division
Employment Security Department
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
After you appeal
USDOL will:
- Investigate the petition request again.
- Make a final determination.
- Notify the petitioner, the company and the state agency.