Protesters call on governor to fix unemployment system

A handful of protesters took their grievances with the Maryland unemployment system to the front steps of the Department of Labor's office building in Baltimore.

MANY STILL WAITING FOR THEIRUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANBENEFITS ARE CALLING ON THEGOVERNOR AND SECRETARY OFLABOR TO TAKE EMERGENCYACTIONS.

WMA━2 NEWS MALLORYSOFASTAII ATTENDED THEIRPROTEST TODAY AND HAS MORETHEIR DEMANDS.MALLORY: 22:57 THE CROWD WASSMALL BUT THE NUMBER OFCLAIMANTS STILL WAITING FORTHEIR BENEFITS IS IN THETHOUSANDS.

ORGANIZERS SAYINGMANY PEOPLE COULDNBECAUSE THEY CANHAD THEIR CARS REPOSSESSED, ORARE HAVING TO PRIORITIZE FOOAND RENT:15 A CLEAR ANDCONCISE MESSAGE TO THEGOVERNORUNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.

DarinVoss, filed for unemploymentinsurance 7 weeks ago: 56:13This is a Maryland problem,governor, itfix it:05 WHILE GROUPS WITHTENS OF THOUSANDS OF MEMBERSHAVE FORMED ON FACEBOOKHANDFUL OF PROTESTORS BROUGHTTHEIR CONCERNS TO THE FRONTDOOR OF THE DIVISION OFUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DV:54:44 my storythan everyone else, we canget through, wepaid, itweeks, 12 weeks for somepeople but when these peopleare typing their thoughts andfeelings in there, theycrying behind their keyboard.Thatoday.:15 THEIR LIST OFDEMANDS INCLUDERELEASING FUNDS TO ANYONEWAITING MORE THAN 4 WEEKS FORPAYMENT, REGARDLESS OF FILINGSTATUS & WAIVING UNREASONABLEDELAYS TO PAYMENTS SUCH ASINTERVIEWS THAT ARE BACKED UPSEVERAL WEEKS..

INCREASINGTRANSPARENCY TO CLAIMANTS ONTHEIR APPLICATION STATUS..

ANDIMPROVING THE PHONE SYSTEMSusannah Sack, protestorganizer: 36:15 it is thebare minimum to right to speakto a human being during thistime.

This is an emergency anda global crisis and we caneven get through to a humanbeing on the phone:13 SENATORVAN HOLLEN AND THE MARYLANDCONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SENTTHE GOVERNOR A LETTER LASTWEEK CALLING FOR SIMILARREFORMS..

BUT HE SAYS NOT MUCHHAS CHANGED VAN HOLLEN: 4:16Ah no, wefrustrated and continue to beso.

This is by far the numberone constituent issue:10 OFTHE THOUSAND CLAIMS HIS OFFICEHAS PERSONALLY SUBMITTED TOTHE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, HEESTIMATES ONLY 100 HAVE BEENRESOLVED.

IN A STATEMENT..

ASPOKESWOMAN WITH THEDEPARTMENT OF LABOR SAID“Nothing is more important tous than ensuring that alleligible claimants receive thebenefits they are entitled tounder the law... However, theU.S. Department of Laborcontinues to reiterate that wemust verify the eligibility ofall claimants to maintainprogram integrity." SENATORVAN HOLLEN NOTING OTHER STATEHAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BOTH ANDEFFICIENTLY... VAN HOLLEN:6:38 wethatfederal government all thosestates are playing by the samerules:11 LEAVING CLAIMANTS ANLEGISLATORS ASKING WHY MOREPEOPLE ARENDelegate Heather Bagnall, (D)Anne Arundel County 59:26 ourgovernor has the authority tofix this, itpriority:05 MALLORY: 22:31ORGANIZERS ARE ENCOURAGINGANYONE WHOSE BEEN IMPACTED TOCONTACT THEIR CITY, COUNTY,STATE, FEDERAL LEGISLATORSTELL THEM WHATTHEYRESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNOR ANDATTORNEY GENERAL.

REPORTING INBALTIMORE, MS, WMA━2 NEWS:16WE REACHED OUT T