MORE TESTIMONY — PEF members from the TCC, (L) Gordon Stack, Mario Henry and Evarist Nicholas testify at a NYC Council committee hearing in September. — Photo by Richard Dillard
Thousands of NYC residents left on hold
DOL directs TCC members to ignore the law
By DEBORAH A. MILES
PEF Division 245 members who work at the state Department of Labor’s (DOL) Unemployment Telephone Claims Center (TCC) in lower Manhattan are using every possible avenue to stop the closure of the TCC.
Their most recent attempt, testifying at a New York City Council committee hearing on September 27, brought to light some appalling information. PEF member Gordon Stack, a supervisor at the TCC, testified that DOL instructed the staff at the call centers in lower Manhattan, Troy and Endicott to ignore certain sections of New York’s Unemployment Insurance Law.
“On September 15, DOL told staff at all three call centers they will no longer be adjudicating certain issues. These issues must be adjudicated, under law,” Stack said.
He said the directives of the unsigned memo went into effect that afternoon.
“We believe the memo was issued in this manner so no DOL manager would get into trouble for directing employees to ignore the law,” Stack said.
As a result of the directive and Commissioner Linda Angello’s decision to close the TCC, Stack said many ineligible individuals would receive unemployment insurance benefits, costing the state millions of dollars. Others will have to wait for months just to find out if they are eligible. In some cases, business owners will be illegally required to pay benefits.
“Overpayments will put the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund under greater financial stress, lead to higher unemployment insurance taxes for businesses and lead to unrecoverable unemployment insurance benefits paid from the state’s general fund,” Stack said.
Service declines
The new DOL policy, along with a severe cutback in staff, is also raising the frustration level of thousands of unemployed people.
PEF Vice President Pat Baker, who also testified with six other members from the TCC, said Angello’s decision to close the TCC is highly detrimental to the residents of New York City’s five boroughs.
Stack said internal data shows on some days up to 80 percent of the calls are turned away by the system.
“The desperate unemployed are showing up in droves at Job Service offices, only to be told that no one can help them, and the phone is their only recourse,” Stack said. “The state of New York, for reasons that don’t stand up to even modest scrutiny, has chosen to wage war on thousands of vulnerable citizens.”
On deaf ears
Since DOL’s announcement to close the TCC last April, members have rallied, held press conferences, testified at state and local hearings, and the union filed a lawsuit against DOL and Angello. Thousands signed petitions and sent faxes to the governor. Yet, there has been no response.
“We all wait for Mr. Pataki to step-in, but he hasn’t. He apparently has abandoned New York, as he adjusts his political ambitions upwards. Doesn’t he realize if he doesn’t act now, this will be his lasting legacy in New York? ” Stack said.
Ron Lillipop, a DOL spokesperson, said Angello will not comment until the lawsuit is resolved.
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