In This Together CT

Marsha Tulloch talks to reporters about the challenges she and her Department of Labor co-workers face trying to help thousands of jobless Connecticut residents stay afloat in perilous times. Congressman Chris Murphy toured the Hartford unemployment call center to talk to front-line workers like Tulloch.

Murphy and State Rep. John Geragosian of New Britain, the incoming House Appropriations Co-Chairman, toured the Hartford call center Dec. 18 to visit with state public service workers who make sure the unemployed get the benefits they need for short-term survival.

AFSCME Local 269 President Carol Carney, a veteran DOL employee, guided Murphy, Gerogosian and the media on a tour of the call center, which is one of many critical services administered by the State Department of Labor.

On Dec. 17 alone, some 5,000 people called in looking for help and to have their questions answered about securing or extending unemployment benefits.

“Every one of these folks (manning the phones) feels so badly,” said Carney. “They know they’ll get someone on the phone who’s upset and lost a job. They know if they go to take even a bathroom break somebody’s call is not getting taken. It’s not like you get to relax and breathe. It’s nonstop. As soon as you’re finished with one call the next call comes through.”

Tulloch was visibly moved as she described some of the calls for unemployment assistance that have deluged the call center in recent weeks.

“I put myself in their situation. I have kids. I have a family, and if I was in that situation, I’d want somebody to help me out, too,” she said.

Murphy, pictured here with Carol Carney, pledged to do his part to foster a federal-state partnership to help bolster public services during the economic downturn that has engulfed Connecticut and the nation.

“The economic stimulus bill that Congress passes in January needs to have help for the states, to make sure that state governments can keep departments like this up and running so that people who need help, in this very difficult recession, get it,” Murphy said.

Ironically, on the same day of the call center tour, the latest economic data was released, showing that Connecticut jobless figures rose to 6.6% — a loss of 5,100 more jobs.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 21st, 2008 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Campaign News, Profiles, Video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.