Pennsylvania Unemployment
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Fired from union job in PA - can I still qualify for UC benefits?
So I just got terminated from my position at a manufacturing plant where I was part of the union for 3 years. The company is claiming I violated their attendance policy (I was literally 10 minutes late three times in one month because of documented car troubles). The union rep seemed pretty useless during my termination meeting and just sat there while HR handed me my papers. I filed for unemployment the next day and now I'm worried that being in a union might affect my claim somehow? Has anyone been fired from a union job and successfully got PA unemployment? Does the union status make the process different or hurt my chances? Really need these benefits while I search for something new.
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PA UC Board of Review appeal taking 11+ weeks after employer no-show - how much longer?
I'm seriously losing my mind waiting for the PA Board of Review decision on my appeal. It's been 11 weeks since my remand hearing where the employer didn't even bother to show up! I thought that would make things go faster, but nope. My rent is due AGAIN and I have no idea what to tell my landlord. The whole process has dragged on for almost a year since I first filed my claim. How is anyone supposed to survive like this? Has anyone else had a Board of Review appeal that took this long? Is there any way to check the status or light a fire under them? Anyone got through this nightmare with some good news to share? 🙏
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Any update? Did contacting your state rep help move things along?
Yes! Finally got some movement after contacting my state rep. Their office called me yesterday saying they inquired with UC and my appeal was actually approved 2 weeks ago but got stuck in processing. Should receive payment within 7-10 days they said. Still frustrated it took this long but relieved it's finally moving forward.
That's such great news that your state rep was able to help! I'm dealing with a similar situation - been waiting 9 weeks for my Board of Review decision after winning at the referee level. My employer didn't show up to that hearing either but here we are still waiting. Definitely going to contact my state rep's office tomorrow morning. Thanks for sharing the update - gives me hope that there might actually be light at the end of this tunnel!
Need a working PA UC phone number that actually connects to a real person
Been trying to reach PA unemployment for 3 days straight with no luck. Every number I call either disconnects me automatically or puts me in an endless loop of automated messages. I need to talk to an actual human about my claim status - it's been stuck as 'pending' for almost 5 weeks now and my bills are piling up. Does anyone have a direct number that actually works? Or maybe a specific time of day when the lines aren't so jammed? At this point I'm desperate enough to try anything.
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Update: I tried calling the Pittsburgh number at exactly 8:00 AM today and got through after being on hold for about 45 minutes! The rep was able to see that my claim had an "open issue" regarding my job separation reason. She fixed it on the spot and said I should see payments within 2-3 business days. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
Great news! Glad you got it resolved. For future reference, if you see an "open issue" status on your claim, you can sometimes resolve it faster by uploading supporting documentation through your dashboard rather than waiting to speak with someone.
Congrats on getting through! Such a relief when you finally talk to someone who can actually help, isn't it?
So glad you finally got through! I'm dealing with a similar situation - been waiting 4 weeks with a "pending" status. Going to try the Pittsburgh number tomorrow morning at 8 AM sharp. Did you have to provide any specific documents or information when they resolved your "open issue"? Just want to make sure I have everything ready before I call.
Called PA UC 162 times with no answer - when is the best time to actually get through?
I'm absolutely losing my mind trying to get ahold of someone at PA unemployment. I literally called 162 times back-to-back today (yes, I counted) and either got a busy signal or the automated message saying they're experiencing high call volume. My claim has been stuck in limbo for 3 weeks now with no payment, and I have bills due next week that I can't pay. Does anyone know what time of day actually works to get through? Early morning? Right before closing? I'm desperate at this point and need to speak to a real person before I lose my apartment.
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UPDATE: Success! I tried the early morning trick and called exactly at 7:58am. Got through after only 12 attempts and waited on hold for about 35 minutes. The rep was actually really helpful and fixed my issue - turns out they needed additional employment verification because my employer had reported different quarterly wages than what I put on my application. Issue resolved and payments should start processing tomorrow! Thanks everyone for the advice. For anyone else struggling, the early morning really does seem to be the key. Have your info ready and be prepared to wait on hold, but it's worth it to get your issue resolved.
Great news! Glad you got your issue resolved. And thanks for coming back to update - helps others know what works.
CONGRATS!!! It's like winning the lottery when you actually get through to someone helpful! Make sure you check your dashboard tomorrow to confirm the payments are actually processing.
Wow, congratulations on finally getting through! Your success story gives me hope. I'm dealing with a similar situation - been trying to reach PA UC for weeks about a payment issue. The early morning strategy sounds like it's worth trying. Quick question though - when you called at 7:58am, did you keep redialing immediately if you got a busy signal, or did you wait between attempts? Also, did you use the main UC number or a specific department line? Thanks for sharing your experience and coming back to update us!
How to contact PA UC service representatives when phone lines are jammed?
I've been trying for DAYS to reach someone at PA Unemployment about my open issue. The phone just rings busy or disconnects after waiting forever. I need to talk to an actual human because my benefits have been stuck in pending for almost 3 weeks and I'm getting desperate. Has anyone successfully gotten through to a real person at PA UC recently? Is there a specific time or number that works better? Or should I try contacting my state rep? I've heard that can sometimes help but not sure how to even do that. Bills are piling up and I'm starting to panic.
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One other option to consider: PA UC has regional career centers where you can sometimes get in-person help with claims. You can find your nearest one here: https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/. Call ahead to confirm they can help with UC issues and what documentation to bring. In-person is sometimes faster than phone or email.
This is really helpful info! There's actually a career center not too far from me. I'll call them tomorrow to see if they can help with claim issues. Thank you!
I feel your pain - the PA UC system is absolutely brutal right now. I went through the same nightmare 2 months ago. Here's what finally worked for me: I combined several approaches at once. First, I contacted my state rep (like others mentioned) AND also tried calling the Philadelphia UC service center directly at 215-560-7885 instead of the main number - sometimes different offices have shorter wait times. I also kept trying the online messaging system every few days with slightly different wording. What really pushed it over the edge was when I started documenting everything - dates I called, times I waited, screenshot of error messages - and mentioned in my state rep contact that I was keeping records for potential legal action. Suddenly things started moving. Don't give up, but definitely try multiple channels simultaneously rather than just one approach.
Sofia Morales
After 2 weeks with no update on my UC claim I finally got through to a rep yesterday. Apparently my employer is contesting it (no surprise) but the agent said with my documentation I should be fine. Just a waiting game now!
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Giovanni Mancini
good luck! employers almost always contest, it's annoying but part of the process. if u have those repair receipts u should be ok. 10 min late is nothing lol
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Edward McBride
I was in a similar situation with my union job at a steel plant. Got fired for "excessive tardiness" - was late 4 times in 6 weeks due to childcare issues. The union didn't fight for me during the termination but here's what saved me: I kept detailed records of every time I notified my supervisor AND I had the union contract which stated employees get progressive discipline (verbal warning, written warning, then termination). They skipped the written warning step completely! PA UC approved me because the employer didn't follow their own disciplinary procedures. Make sure you get a copy of your union contract and check if they followed all the steps. Also, being 10 minutes late with documented car trouble is NOT willful misconduct - you communicated proactively each time. That shows good faith effort to get to work. You should be fine!
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