Groups press for return of 521 Pa. unemployment workers
Unions and other groups backing more than 500 workers who were furloughed late last year from the state’s unemployment compensation services are asking that they be reinstated.
During a rally Monday at the state Capitol, several hundred workers gathered to call on the Legislature to pass funding bills that would bring back the 521 unemployment compensation call center employees and other staff workers who were furloughed Dec. 19.
The furloughs coincided with the Wolf administration’s closure of unemployment compensation service centers in Allentown, Altoona and Lancaster.
On Monday, the workers were joined by unions, nonprofit groups and supporters, and more than a dozen legislators.
On what was the first legislative session day for both the House and Senate, Service Employees International Union Local 668 led the charge to address the crisis the unemployment compensation system is experiencing with the 50 percent reduction in employees who handled incoming calls.
Remarks from the speakers included reports of long wait times, busy signals, long lines to use direct phone lines at CareerLink offices and missed benefits checks experienced across the commonwealth.
It appeared the bottlenecks created by the closings and furloughs were occurring locally.
Repeated calls by the Observer-Reporter to the Greene County CareerLink office in Waynesburg went unanswered Tuesday afternoon.
The Washington CareerLink office did not return a message left with it seeking comment on the volume of calls that center is handling.
According to a news release from SEIU, the problems occurred as a result of the Senate Republican leadership not voting on the funding last year.
The closure of the centers has caused hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers to suffer because of their inability to receive help and their benefits on a timely basis, the union said.
On Jan. 19, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale launched an audit of the state Department of Labor & Industry’s Unemployment Compensation Service and Infrastructure Improvement fund, which is at the root of a dispute between the governor and legislative leaders.
In announcing the audit, DePasquale said he hoped it would shed light on “what happened to the funding already provided and help legislators and the governor find the most beneficial path forward that ensures people receive the services they need in the most efficient and effective manner possible.”
The SEIU said that with DePasquale’s announcement, it sees no obstacle to the immediate passage of the funds needed to get the system back on track for the unemployed and underemployed workers.
Rick Bloomingdale, president of PA AFL-CIO, who attended Monday’s rally, said, “These folks are the lifeline for thousands of Pennsylvanians who struggle every day.”