Agrium Alaska employees receive trade benefits

Kenai, Alaska-Some 150 employees of Agrium Inc.’s closed Kenai, Alaska, nitrogen plant will receive trade adjustment assistance benefits from the federal government, it was announced Jan. 8 in FR Today. Back in October, the benefits were denied. The initial investigation concluded that imports of anhydrous ammonia and urea did not contribute importantly to worker separations at the subject plant and no shift of production to a foreign source occurred. Agrium appealed the denial, however, submitting additional information about the competitive international nitrogen market. Department of Labor Certifying Officer Elliott Kushner later determined that increases of imports of anhydrous ammonia and urea, produced by Agrium’s Kenai operation, contributed importantly to the total or partial separation of workers and to the decline in sales or production at that firm. The benefits, which are for two years, will assist employees with job search and relocation, provide wage subsidies for those who accept lower paying jobs, and assist in paying health insurance premiums and Cobra.