Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, Back To Work I Go!

Yes, it has finally happened. Time for my summer vacation to end and work to begin. Six painful weeks I suffered as I went to my union hall for the disappointing news of my number not getting called. Happy to see some of my brothers and sisters get the call to head out to work. Some who’ve been out of work for a long time now enjoying that big paycheck. I wondered when it was going to be my time. Six weeks of dreaming for those big weekly pay days that will pad my growing bank account. Yesterday, that dream came true. Barely.

For a period of time during this 17 man call for the St. Lucie Nuclar Plant I didn’t think they would reach my number. Low numbers highlighted the early going with people I’ve never heard of. Then they reached the 100s. I was at #137. I had a chance. All of a sudden some brothers “passed” on the call. A smile then went across my face. It was coming. The 14th number called was mine. I jumped up and said “Yes!” I’m in! Then it hit me. If nobody passed on the call I would’ve had to wait another week. Maybe even wonder if I would make the cut at all.

After receiving my work referral the first thing that popped in my head was “I’m going back to work! No more crappy unemployment money!” Then another thought hit me. “Oh shit, I’m going back to work!” No more vacation. No more slacking off. Soon it would be time to put the tools back in my hands and do the job asked of me for the next few months. At least the paycheck is worth it.

Tomorow I’ll be packing my bags and making my way to Hutchinson Island for the weekend. Get myself settled in and do some grocery shopping. Oh yeah, and I’ll be heading to the movie thether to go see The Dark Knight Rises. Like I’m going to miss that. Fat chance! Once Monday at 6am comes around reality will hit me once again. I can’t say what I’m doing when I’m there, because that would get me in trouble. Good news is that come November I’ll be laid off and back home once again for the holidays with the family while getting ready for a return trip to Athens, Alabama next year.

At The Hall Still Waiting On The Call

That phrase in the title says it all, because it sure has become a recurring theme for the past few weeks. Drive 100 miles from my home in Palm Bay to West Palm Beach where my local union hall is located hoping to hear my number called so that I can go back to work at the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant outage. Once again the disappointment fills my eyes as my number doesn’t get called. How much longer do I have to wait?

Every week for the last month and change I’ve showed up at the hall and signed the day book hoping for the best. The only part that sucks is when I pull into the parking lot and see it full of cars with my local brothers and sisters all wanting the same thing. A large majority of the people there I worked with on the previous outage making it a reunion. I’m all happy when their numbers get called, but sad at the same time when I still have to wait on the pine pony. They ask me when I’m getting out there. I tell them “I really don’t know.”

Now let me just state for the record that I’m enjoying my so-called “vacation time” resting up for the busy fall and winter seasons ahead of me working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day at the nuke plant for the upcoming outages. Time off between jobs is great, but after awhile you get that itch. The greedy itch of wanting to go back and make that sweet check every week once again. I miss those paydays. Unemployment money sucks!

What really busts my bubble is that every week I move closer and closer in the book for the call, however each week I feel like I’m so far away. The recordings on the night before state “Red Badge Preferred” which is where I fit in, but when the callout comes around the next morning they just end up taking the first person available. Some people with extremely low numbers show up out of nowhere and take the calls. Some even get spun around failing background checks and get sent back to the hall hurting those who’ve been patiently waiting. People like me.

So here I wait. Waiting on the opportunity to go back. Will it happen? Who knows. All I know Is that I’m not waiting forever. Today I also signed a road book in Alabama to head back to Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant for two upcoming outages. Who will call first? I’ll just have to wait and see. I think I need a beer.

More Unemployment Problems…What Else Is New?

Unemployment really sucks. Why? Because my issues with collecting my benefits has once again hit another big roadblock. All I want is to make my time while I wait for the next job to be as painless as possible. Once again that is not the case as my frustrations continue. I told you before that the unemployment agency’s goal is to not pay you. So here’s what happened this time.

Two weeks after I filed my initial claim I had to claim weeks to gain benefits. I did all the work on the computer including adding my work searches (which is telling them that I called the union hall…truth), but there was something that seemed to bother me. I never received anything in the mail that my claim was approved. There was plenty of times where I claimed weeks only to receive nothing because the agency decided to put a “flag” on my account just to be a pain in the ass. Well I decided that this time I would call them to find out what ws going on.

As I called the unemployment agency, I gave them my information and here’s what the “supposedly kind” lady on the line told me. She told me that I had a waiting week and that I wouldn’t get paid.

“Oh hell no!” is what I told her. “I already served a waiting week two months ago when I first claimed this year. That was the only week I was out of work before I went to Alabama. I’m not getting screwed by serving a second one.”

She replied “Oh, I’m sorry. I just noticed that you did so we’re going to pay you for one week.”

“Wait just a minute. What about the other week.” I know what’s coming. I’m about to get fucked again.

“Well sir, according to our records you claimed that on the week ending May 13 you claimed over $1,000.”

“Claimed $1,000 say what lady!” My attitude clearly changed by this point. Maybe because I wanted to see where that money was so I can have it.

“Yes sir, you made a claim that you made money on that week.” She was getting pretty stern by this point.

“I got laid off on Friday, May 11 lady. I made no money that week.”

“Well sir, what we’ll have to do is make a written claim and send it to Tallahassee to get it cleared up.”

My usual response is “How long is this going to take?” Now all I can think about is the past few times where they fucked me. This is going to take months of me fighting, frustration, pulling my hair out, and absolute agony just to get $275. Money which will mean absolutely nothing, because I’ll already be working again. I think their goal is to see if I’ll forget about it. Then again I’m Jewish. We never forget about money no matter how small it is.

She told me that it would only take 7-10 days. Business days that is. Of course I wasn’t buying into this, but what else could I do. You would think that they would just fix this right away so I wouldn’t have to go through all these problems, but then I remebered that this is the state unempoyment agency. After being put on hold for another 15 minutes, where I had to listen to awful elevator music that could put you to sleep, she came back on the line to tell me that the paperwork was on the way for me to fill out. Great…all this paperwork for money that may never arrive, but they sure will tax you on it come January. Well on that note, let me raise a beer and toast to another two months of fighting the unemployment agency. I hate Rick Scott!

Unemployment…what a joke.

Well there is good news. My union hall has been calling out for the job at the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant starting yesterday and will continue every week. They didn’t reach my number yet (number 224 in the book), but they should get there in the next two weeks. The unemployment blues could soon be over.