Filing for Unemployment – More Information

January 6, 2021

Brothers and Sisters,

On December 17th 2020, I posted a news article on unemployment information for Nokia.  In this news article it was stated that appoximately one third of our members from across the country that are transitioning to Goodman have been informed that they do not have job assignments yet and are on no-pay from Goodman and that if that happens to any of our members that they should file for unemployment against Nokia.  This news article generated some questions from the general membership and some members of the E-Board that needed clarification on how and why we would file for unemployment against Nokia and the ESTP.

Please be advised of the following;

1) On December 13th, 2020 approximately 201 represented employees were "Laid Off" by Nokia.  These employees were provided 60 days' notice from Nokia that their base locations were being depopulated and that their last day on payroll would be December 13th 2020.

2) To determine your eligibility and payment Unemployment looks back at your work history and wages and since you worked all of last year for Nokia and Nokia LAID YOU OFF the claim goes against Nokia. 

3) Currently no one is collecting a pension; however, once you get a pension payment unemployment will use the pension payment to offset loss of earnings. 

4) Not a single represented employee, of the approximately 201 of us, was provided severance pay or lay off allowance.

5) Not all of the appriximate 201 represented employees were pension eligable.

6) Each State's unemployment rules may differ, and you would need to file in the state of your former Nokia Base location.

Again it is my understanding that if any of our members are working for Goodman Communications with no-pay they can file for unemployment against Nokia.  Please see attached pdf file.

In Unity,

R.K. Ferdinandsen

President

CWA Local 7590