VERO BEACH, FL -- Tonya Lopez said for months she knew business was hurting at Piper Aircraft, and she wondered when the ax would fall.
"We all come to work every day waiting to see who was next," she says.
In December, the company let go of 150 employees. Tonya’s job was eliminated, too.
"You know Christmas was tough. And the kids understand as best they can, but it’s hard…and then emotionally I know I’m a good employee. I know I work hard. I want to find a job. I can’t find a job. It's tough."
The hardest part now: getting by without an unemployment check. She’s spent more than 5 weeks trying to get benefits, but the state tells her it’s still waiting on paperwork from Piper.
Karan Priest, another former Piper employee, says she has the same problem: she can't get unemployment benefits.
"I can’t even make ends meet. You know I’m so far behind now I don’t have my rent and I just got my electric bill for $252 I don’t have and I’m having to move," says Priest.
Piper spokesman Mark Miller says the company has filed all the necessary paperwork with the state unemployment office. And if there’s a delay in employees getting benefits, he said that could be because the state is stretched thin in these tough economic times.
In the past year, the number of unemployment claims in Florida has doubled.
Robby Cunningham, a spokesman for the Agency for Workforce Innovation, would not say, however, if there have been any delays in giving benefits.
“For confidentiality reasons we can’t talk about specific cases," he says. "Bottom line- we want to help these people – and we’re trying feverishly to get the benefits in their hands.”
For people like Tonya Lopez and Karan Priest, that can’t happen soon enough.
"I’m gonna pray hopefully something will give here and we can start getting our money. It’s all we can do," says Priest.
Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation offers these tips on expediting an unemployment claim:
Fast Facts
Tips for Filing an Unemployment Compensation Claim
· The easiest and most efficient way to apply for benefits is by using the internet at: www.floridajobs.org.
· After qualifying for benefits you will be required to certify your eligibility every two weeks, using the internet or telephone, to continue receiving payments.
· When filing a claim, have this information handy: past employment, dates worked, name and address of employer, reason for leaving.
· If you do not have internet access, call toll-free 1-800-204-2418. Call center hours are: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Mondays and Tuesdays have the highest call volume.
· For current job opportunities, visit: www.employflorida.com. If you do not have internet access, visit a library or your local One-Stop Career Center managed by Workforce Alliance (http://www.pbcalliance.com/). One-Stop Career Center employees don't process unemployment compensation applications, but can offer job placement assistance.
