Unemployment Claims

[Lorrie Henson]

"K" to ya NukeMan!!  I'm sure many of us will be very interested to see what reply you receive from them!!

[BeerCourt]

I wrote the following to see What Massachusetts says, Always trying to help my Fellow  Nukes!!!

webmaster@detma.org

I use to file combined wages in Massachusetts,  But now have told you can not do this.   I work for Bartlett Nuclear who's main base is out of Plymouth Mass.  According to this, PART I.
TITLE XXI.
Chapter 151A: Section 3.
(b)
(1) the individual’s base of operations is in the commonwealth or, if there is no base of operations, then the place from which such service is directed or controlled, is within the commonwealth.

Our base of Operation is Bartlett Nuclear from Plymouth Mass.  and we work diffrent states directed from Plymouth Mass , would we qualify to file unemployment in Massachusetts based on this?

I hope this works out for you, but it could be a problem too.

Not all nukeworkers actually work for Bartlett.

Bartlett now owns Numanco, which probably still exists on paper and is headquartered in Tulsa.  Hmmmm!  They could easily claim that you are based in Tulsa.

Still, I hope it works out that the Bartlett employees can use this clause to their benefit.  It looks legitimate on the face of it.  But you don't have a base of operations unless you work out of one of the satellite offices.  This is okay, because, according to the above, if you have no base, then the place from which the work is directed, being in Massachussetts, is your ticket.  So, be careful not to take all your jobs from the Pennsylvania or Oklahoma offices and you should be okay.

[Rennhack]

I wrote the following to see What Massachusetts says, Always trying to help my Fellow  Nukes!!!

webmaster@detma.org

I use to file combined wages in Massachusetts,  But now have told you can not do this.   I work for Bartlett Nuclear who's main base is out of Plymouth Mass.  According to this, PART I.
TITLE XXI.
Chapter 151A: Section 3.
(b)
(1) the individual’s base of operations is in the commonwealth or, if there is no base of operations, then the place from which such service is directed or controlled, is within the commonwealth.

Our base of Operation is Bartlett Nuclear from Plymouth Mass.  and we work different states directed from Plymouth Mass , would we qualify to file unemployment in Massachusetts based on this?

Please keep us updated on this.

[HouseDad]

I'm willing to bet that except for the rare independent duty jobs, anyplace with a site coordinator will be considered the base of operations as far as the techs go. Hope not, but my gut is telling me that's how it will fall.
 

[thenukeman]

I tried to send a Email to Massachusetts at 3 different Emails they list and I get blocked,  I try my friends and they get my email, I guess they are reading MY IPaddress and blocking me from communicating with them on my EMAIL I wrote above,  These are my 3 addresses I have tried and they all come up blocked, Maybe someone else can Email them my letter from Mass or another IP.  dcscustomerfeedback@detma.org
   Permanent Failure: 550_Blocked
   Delivery last attempted at Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:26:01 -0000
webmaster@detma.org
   Permanent Failure: 550_Blocked
   Delivery last attempted at Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:45:07 -0000

ProblemResolutionUnit@detma.org
   Permanent Failure: 550_Blocked
   Delivery last attempted at Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:41:30 -0000

I bet they do not want to answer my question in writing.  Please can someone trythis.  Sorry I tried, I plan on trying some more.  Getting blocked 3 times can be frustrating,  Trying to help my Fellow nukers out!!!

[Lorrie Henson]

Nukeman,

I have copied your quote and emailed them, using two of the email addresses you supplied.  I'll let you know if I get a reply or a failure notification.

Lorrie

[SloGlo]

I bet they do not want to answer my question in writing.  Please can someone trythis.  Sorry I tried, I plan on trying some more.  Getting blocked 3 times can be frustrating,  Trying to help my Fellow nukers out!!!

use snail mail.  yinz'll git yer reply in a cupla weaks in a nice brown envelope. 

[Lorrie Henson]

I just received the following response.....



Please contact (617) 626-6800 and the unemployment department will help you with your situation.

Nikisha (Nykky) Glasgow
Administrative Assistant
Division of Career Services
(617) 626-5361

[Mike L]

Does anyone know about applying for a combined wage claim in NC?  Do you have to do it in person?

[Melrose]

Negativity didn't get me to where I am today..  but it could get me to be an old HP if I'm not careful.

Too funny...........

[pappy]

Has anyone tired to file in Mass since the new rules went in effect, using the Bartlett based in Mass basis? Mine runs out in June, IF i ever get to be laid off......

[DaveWarren]

HEY ERIC BARTLETT:

This would be very beneficial to alot of people to have this information. Is there any way that you might be able to shake the bushes and find out who's right and who's not? We can put a million posts on here and every one could be handled differently. If you can get some concrete information and post it, you would be given "The Man" status by about 50 people within the FENOC system that are about to get laid off for 3 months. Not to mention all of the others around the country.

Thanks...

[Lorrie Henson]

I have a question... any information/advise would be greatly appreciated.

After a 2.5 yr hiatus, I went back to work in January and worked 2 outages.  The second one ended April 23.  I live in Michigan and worked both Michigan and Iowa.   I believe when filing for unemployment, they go back 5 quarters, not including the quarter you're in.  So, if I file now, they would only take Jan-March income, right?  Should I wait until July to file so my April earnings will count?.... will it even be worth it?? 

Thanks everyone!

[BeerCourt]

Lorrie,
Some states will use an alternate period that can include the current quarter.  But, once you use those wages to establish one claim, you can't use them again on your next one.  So, your next benefit year might be lacking.  However, some states base your benefit on your two highest quarters.  You might be okay if the first quarter plus zero as your second highest actually maxes you out.  Also, some states require that you have earned a minimum dollar amount or worked a minimum number of weeks.  And still, there are states where you would max out based on the average weekly wage, but they will pay only a percentage of your total earnings in the period.  (Example:  you made $20k in one quarter, and 6k in your second highest quarter.  Based on that, if the benefit is half of your AWW, you would max out if the max was $500--BUT if they also limit your benefit to 30 or 40 or 45% of your total earnings for the year, you might get a little less.  Complicated, huh?

Best to ask both states and see who gives you the better deal both with and without using the alternate period.  Then, take your pick.

You'll need your calculator.  Would you be better off getting ten more dollars a week for 26 weeks if it means getting nothing for three months?  How about if you get 50 or 100 more per week?  Can you be sure that you will collect all 26 weeks?  It's kind of a crap-shoot, but my gut feeling is that you take the money as soon as you can get it.

The way it looks without actual numbers is that you might break even by waiting if you are lucky, but that all depends on what number they calculate for you.

[Lorrie Henson]

Thank you Troy!!  Yes, complicated, but I understood it all!!  I'll have to call them soon. Hopefully, I won't be waiting too much longer and will have a job offer, then I won't have to worry about it.  I know if I claim in Michigan, I'll have to go to Michigan Works, and since I'm in SC with Jim right now, that's not a possibility... so, I'll wait till I get home and make some phone calls....

Thanks again!!  +K to ya!!

[Eric_Bartlett]

...Bartlett now owns Numanco, which probably still exists on paper and is headquartered in Tulsa.  Hmmmm!  They could easily claim that you are based in Tulsa...

Hey Troy - how ya been? To clear things up, yes we bought Numanco and Sun Technical.  Sun is still in existence out of Reno, NV, however Numanco is no more, that company has like so many others become yet another distant memory.  Tulsa is but a satellite office of the Plymouth, MA office, as is our Pennsylvania office that Anne works out of and our TN office that Butch Smith works out of.

HEY ERIC BARTLETT:

This would be very beneficial to alot of people to have this information. Is there any way that you might be able to shake the bushes and find out who's right and who's not? We can put a million posts on here and every one could be handled differently. If you can get some concrete information and post it, you would be given "The Man" status by about 50 people within the FENOC system that are about to get laid off for 3 months. Not to mention all of the others around the country.

Thanks...

I myself know very little about un-employment as I was never eligible for it being self employed before starting here so long ago - I will talk to my HR folk and see what they can explain to me so I can relay it to you all ASAP.

[BeerCourt]

Thanks Eric.  Lots of people are really interested in this topic since the federal rules changed this year.  Everyone wants to file in Mass. because the benefit is so high.

[Lorrie Henson]

Supposedly, someone went to PA to file and they were rejected, saying they must first file with MASS because that's where the Bartlett office is.... and if they get rejected from MASS, then go back to PA with that rejection notification.

[thenukeman]

Yes , Eric would get the MAN status and BARTLETT would get THE COMPANY status if you can file in Mass. I know my checks said Plymouth Mass not the site I was working at if I remember correctly!!!  I guess your stub would say Plymouth Mass if you got direct deposit.   Hmmm who would I want to work for a company stationed in TN where I get 275 a week unemployment or  THE COMPANY on an outage or short DOE contract when I get 625 a week unemployment with 2 children at Mass.   All things being equal,   THE COMPANY BARTLETT,  Someone say it is so!!! LOL   It does not matter to me  because I have a semipermanent job,  but Bartlett has been good to me when the chips were down!!  I would like them to be THE COMPANY and Eric to be DA MAN!!!!!

[inrad]

Fellow travelers, it's time to take ACTION.

Here is my sample letter to our US Senators and Congressmen. Please feel free to reproduce it, edit it, distribute it via any and all means and above all use it yourself to contact your government officials. We MUST stand up for each other on this because who else will?

Dear Senator,
I received a very disturbing letter in December 08, it reads:
"Dear Combined Wage Claimant:
         The US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration amended the regulations governing combined wage claims filed under the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program. Beginning January 6, 2009, the definition of "Paying State", when filing a Combined Wage Claim, has been changed...
 ...this means, effective January 6, 2009 onward, that in order to file a Combined Wage Claim, you must have had employment and earned wages in the paying state's base period.
This notice is to inform you that for new claims effective January 11, 2009 and after, you cannot file a Combined Wage Claim with a certain State as the "Paying State" unless you had employment and earned wages in that certain State during it's base period, regardless of whether you traveled to be physically present in that certain State. Since this is a US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration ruling, all States must follow this amendment."
   
As a traveling worker this will hurt me and many other travelers. Before this new rule, we were allowed to file a Combined Wage Claim in ANY state as long as we had worked in at least 2 states. Please, work for us traveling workers to get this ruling reversed, and restore the old law.
Thanks, (Your Name)

[nowhereman]

From my point of view, I do not see any chance of getting this law changed,  we do not have enough numbers of people to force this change.....and when you look at the new law objectively, it kind of makes sense...

What Bartlett could help us with is one thing, work to classify our job as a "construction worker"...that would allow the states to base our unemployment benefits averaging  the one highest quarter instead of the two highest quarters.

With outage work the way it is and having to file in different states, each state may have a different look back periods or you may have to get the state to use an alternate base period.
and that is when you start to have trouble, you thought you had worked in a state, but lo and behold the wages are missing(they went to your previous claim in another state) and then you stuck using the wages of a bad quarter (say you were held over and worked one week in July....and that would be a bad quarter to average your wages against).

oh yea, and this federal extension on unemployment benefits does not seem to be much value to the rent a tech's in general,   if you return to work(an outage)  you don't qualify for a federal extension after you are laid off.

[disneyfanatic]

my friend you are sadly mistaken about reopening the federal extension, as long as you meet the usual criteria, you are good to go. rest easy,the new math is 18 equals 79

[joshmarc77]

Hello, I am returning to outage work after a year away.  I have just learned on this forum that you can no longer file in Mass after working in two or more states, I will be living in Mass, but I guess that doesnt matter, because I won't be working there, and the company I will work for is not affiliated with it.  So, how does it work, I've been working in Florida full time for a year, will be stopping next week, taking 5 weeks off, then working at Cooper this fall, I was planning on filing in Mass for UI  after that, but what do I do now?

[justme]

As you live in Mass, it can't hurt to try and file there.  They will let you know if you are eligible or not.  If it  doesn't work out, then you will have to file in either Florida or Nebraska. 

[desertdog]

I was in a MA office a few years ago when a MA resident tried to file.  He had been working the entire previous year in CT and was told he needed to file there instead. 

Part of the new regulation for UI states that residence is no longer a deciding factor in determining where you can file a combined wage claim.

It sounds like the only way any of us not working Pilgrim can file there is if it is determined our employer's base of operations is in MA and we are not working out of a satellite office in another state.

[joshmarc77]

The new regulation sucks.  I guess a deciding factor in wear to work depends on the unemployment rate in that state.  I wonder if wages will rise as a result.  Perhaps less people will want to work outages, and therefore more money.

[pronukeroadtech]

MASSACHUSETTS Unemployment

Anyone else out there having current issues with Massachusetts not wanting to let you get the extended benefits or even file a new claim? They are telling me my employer sent all my wages to a different state. They want me to file in any state other than Mass. It's like they're calling you a thief and are trying to steal their money ear marked for in-state-people.

Has anyone conquered the extended benefits yet since the new rules kicked in and if so how? It's like they only understand computer, the paper in front of them doesn't count. I personally faxed a copy of my Reduction in Force Letter showing wages and employment dates to the case worker and it means nothing to them.  Has anyone been able to open a claim or extension there yet?

[Cathy]

MASSACHUSETTS Unemployment

Anyone else out there having current issues with Massachusetts not wanting to let you get the extended benefits or even file a new claim? They are telling me my employer sent all my wages to a different state. They want me to file in any state other than Mass. It's like they're calling you a thief and are trying to steal their money ear marked for in-state-people.

Has anyone conquered the extended benefits yet since the new rules kicked in and if so how? It's like they only understand computer, the paper in front of them doesn't count. I personally faxed a copy of my Reduction in Force Letter showing wages and employment dates to the case worker and it means nothing to them.  Has anyone been able to open a claim or extension there yet?

New Laws

   ..."Dear Combined Wage Claimant:

         The US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration amended the regulations governing combined wage claims filed under the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program.
         Beginning January 6, 2009, the definition of "Paying State", when filing a Combined Wage Claim, has been changed...
      ...this means, effective January 6, 2009 onward, that in order to file a Combined Wage Claim, you must have had employment and earned wages in the paying state's base period.
         This notice is to inform you that for new claims effective January 11, 2009 and after, you cannot file a Combined Wage Claim with Massachusetts as the "Paying State" unless you had employment and earned wages in Massachusetts during the base period (the four completed calender quarters prior to filing), regardless of whether you traveled to be physically present here.
         Since this is a US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration ruling, all States must follow this amendment."

      ...received by paper mail...
        ...Mon, Nov 25, 08...

[pronukeroadtech]

How would that effect a MA claim already made and you just need the extention?

[chris28ohm]

I seem to be having the same problem with massachusetts, after I exhausted my original benifit in June, I was told I had to file in my home state, I was denied because I only had 4 weeks of work in ohio and was told I had to file extended on massachusetts. Mass had originally informed me that if i faxed them a letter of denial from my home state I would be eligible for benifits there. I did this and was told by mass to file for it in virginia and florida since I had wages there, in the alternate period. Since Mass already used my base wages in the october 07 -dec 08 they want me to file a new claim altogether in another state. Hopefully someone has gotten further in the process then me and can help out, 9 weeks without unemployment.
I did file 2 days before new law took place and I believe my claim should fall under old rules.