At least one unemployed Rhode
Island worker told the I-Team he received a letter of apology from the Rhode
Island Department of Labor and Training, after an exclusive NBC 10
investigation found many people left hanging by the state agency.
Dozens of people have called
and e-mailed the I-Team, saying they had waited weeks or even months for their
unemployment benefits.
Dan D'Alessio said the response
wasn't the one he was expecting.
The letter's message was,
"We're sorry for your inconvenience. We've hired more people. Things
should be getting better."
The letter D'Alessio received
was signed by Robert Langlais, assistant director of the Rhode Island
Department of Labor and Training. It begins, "We are sorry to hear that
you had trouble with your recent claim." The letter continued, "Director
Fogarty has been especially concerned with improving customer service to our
unemployed workers."
Director Charlie Fogarty sat
down with I-Team, after NBC 10 contacted him to ask about complaints from
viewers.
"If you're someone who's
in a tough situation, and you're trying to call in, we understand the
desperation," Fogarty said. "We're doing our best to deal with
those issues."
D'Alessio said he received the
letter at his home in North Providence, after more than a month without
unemployment checks. He said he tried contacting the DLT by phone and email, to
no avail.
"I called 70 times in a
row, three days in a row. Nothing," he said.
The DLT wouldn't give NBC 10
numbers on how many other people received their own letters. A department
spokesperson said D'Alessio's letter represents his unique experience. But the I-Team heard the same story from viewers over and over, including some
who came to our studio.
"I have called to the
point where the minutes on my cell phone went over, and I still have not gotten
through to a human," said Karen Ingraham, one of the eight people
interviewed by NBC 10.
Three people in NBC 10's
original story are now receiving payments. Four others are either still
waiting, or gave up. One man, Tom Gibbons of Woonsocket, said his checks
were coming through until he ran into more problems this week.
"People who are
unemployed, that are in this situation, are not at their best. They're
looking for help and they're looking for support," Gibbons said.
D'Alessio said his missing money
finally came through, around the same time as the apology letter.
"They could be working on
other things," D'Alessio said. "There's a lot of things more
important."
The state took action this
month by rehiring another 11 workers who were laid off last year.
The department said they would
help handle the overwhelming call volume. NBC 10 will continue to check
back in the next few months to see if the problems have improved.
