Washington v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

594 N.E.2d 991, 72 Ohio App. 3d 389, 1991 Ohio App. LEXIS 199
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 4, 1991
DocketNos. 57906, 57907, 57908 and 57909.
StatusPublished

This text of 594 N.E.2d 991 (Washington v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 594 N.E.2d 991, 72 Ohio App. 3d 389, 1991 Ohio App. LEXIS 199 (Ohio Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

Francis E. Sweeney, Judge.

Appellants John S. Washington, Jerome V. Boncella, Emil J. Runt and Richard I. Dober timely appeal from an order of the common pleas court affirming the decision of appellee state of Ohio Unemployment Compensation Board of Review denying them Trade Readjustment Allowance (“TRA”) and/or TRA training benefits (“TAA”) on the basis that their eligibility periods had expired. For the following reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court.

Appellants, all former employees of U.S. Steel Corporation, filed applications with the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services (“OBES”) for TRA/TAA benefits in 1987. Their applications were denied on the basis that their eligibility periods to file for TRA/TAA benefits had expired. The administrator’s determination was affirmed on reconsideration and by a referee with the OBES Board of Review. The court of common pleas then affirmed the board of review. Appellants filed this consolidated timely appeal, raising one assignment of error for our review.

*391 “Ohio Bureau of Employment Services (BUC) erred in computing the right of the appellants to receive trade readjustment allowances (TRA) and/or TRA training benefits (TAA), by using short, temporary holiday layoffs occurring in 1981, as the basis for determining the timeliness of the applications of appellants for TRA and TAA benefits, rather than the final termination of employment with U.S. Steel, which occurred in 1984.”

Appellants argue that their eligibility periods for TRA/TAA benefits did not begin to run until the time of their final permanent separation from work in 1984 and not, as the lower decisions concluded, from the time of their short layoffs, which occurred between 1981 and 1982. This argument is without merit.

An order of the common pleas court which is based upon a determination of the manifest weight of the evidence may be reversed by this court only upon a showing that the court abused its discretion. Angelkovski v. Buckeye Potato Chips Co. (1983), 11 Ohio App.3d 159, 161, 11 OBR 242, 244, 463 N.E.2d 1280, 1283. In other words, that court’s decision must be without rational basis and clearly wrong. Id. at 162, 11 OBR at 244, 463 N.E.2d at 1283.

The Trade Act of 1974, Sections 2271 et seq., Title 19, U.S.Code, defines the eligibility period to receive trade readjustment allowances. Specifically, Section 2293(a)(2) defines the eligibility period to receive basic TRA as follows:

“A trade readjustment allowance shall not be paid for any week after the 52-week period beginning with the first week following the first week in the period covered by the certification with respect to which the worker has exhausted (as determined for purposes of section 2291(a)(3)(B) of this title) all rights to that part of his unemployment insurance that is regular compensation.”

Similarly, Section 2293(b) defines the eligibility period to receive additional TRA as follows:

“Limitations on additional payments for training periods. A trade readjustment allowance may not be paid for an additional week specified in subsection (a)(3) of this section if the adversely affected worker who would receive such allowance did not make a bona fide application to a training program approved by the Secretary under section 2296 of this title within 210 days after the date of the worker’s first certification of eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance issued by the Secretary, or, if later, within 210 days after the date of the worker’s total or partial separation referred to in section 2291(a)(1) of this title.” (Emphasis added.)

The Department of Labor (“DOL”) promulgated regulations on December 22, 1988 to implement the provisions of the Trade Act of 1974. Section *392 617.15(a), Title 20, C.F.R., defines the eligibility period to receive basic TRA as follows:

“Basic weeks. An individual shall not be paid basic TRA for any week after the 520 week eligibility period beginning with the first week following the first week in the period covered by the certification with respect to which the individual has first exhausted (as determined under Section 617.11(a)(5)) all rights to regular compensation.”

Section 617.15(b)(2) defines the eligibility period to receive additional TRA/ TAA benefits as follows:

“(2) To be eligible for TRA for additional weeks, an individual must make a bona fide application for such training—

“(i) Within 210 days after the date of the first certification under which the individual is covered; or

“(ii) If later, within 210 days after the date of the individual’s first qualifying total or partial separation.” (Emphasis added.)

The DOL provisions are consistent with Sections 2293(a)(2) and (b), Title 19, U.S.Code.

The board of review held that appellants were first entitled to unemployment compensation after their short layoff in 1981 and 1982 and, thus, their eligibility period to receive basic TRA ran from the time they exhausted all rights to unemployment insurance within the period covered by TRA certification. We agree with this interpretation of the statutes based on the following facts:

Appellants were first separated from employment due to a lack of work between November 20, 1981 and June 1982. Appellant Emil J. Runt was laid off from December 10, 1982 to December 27, 1982. Mr. Runt filed an application for unemployment compensation benefits and was awarded benefits for part of that period, the week of December 19 through 25, 1982.

Appellant John S. Washington was first laid off due to a lack of work from November 20 through 30, 1981. Mr. Washington filed for unemployment compensation benefits for that period, claiming that only two of those days, November 26 and 27, 1981, were paid holidays. Washington was subsequently awarded benefits for the week ending November 28, 1981.

Appellant Jerome V. Boncella was first laid off due to a lack of work on January 28, 1982, for approximately one week. While Mr. Boncella did not file for unemployment compensation, he was qualified to receive unemployment compensation for that period of time.

Appellant Richard Dober was first separated from employment the week of November 21, 1981. Mr. Dober was awarded unemployment compensation benefits for the week ending November 28, 1981.

*393 Based upon the above evidence, it is clear that appellants’ first separations from employment due to a lack of work following the employer’s impact date, August 13, 1981, occurred between November 20, 1981 and June 1982. Appellants were first entitled to unemployment compensation at that time.

Pursuant to R.C. 4141.01(R), an individual’s entitlement to unemployment compensation is exhausted in twenty-six weeks if regular benefits are paid, or up to fifty-two weeks if no benefits are paid.

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Related

Angelkovski v. Buckeye Potato Chips Co.
463 N.E.2d 1280 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1983)

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594 N.E.2d 991, 72 Ohio App. 3d 389, 1991 Ohio App. LEXIS 199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-v-unemployment-compensation-board-of-review-ohioctapp-1991.