[QUOTE=seacomber;164188]I worked for a company that did 56 day rotations, we had to do 60 days in order to collect vacation pay thru the union. So every other rotation paid a vacation check and that was it. No income during the off time. All of us filed for unemployment while ashore, but we lost it when the company fought against the state regarding eligibility. Their argument was that we were all employed and were part of a rotation, our argument was (backed up by SIU) that we essentially had no income since the vacation pay was based on days previously worked. The state sided with the company, who at one point threatened to move headquarters to another state that paid half the benefits. My union rep said the companies have to pay into the state if benefits are awarded, the question then came up, did we pay into it? Yes we did. Collected while the collecting was good, then when this started, I moved on.[/QUOTE]
I worked for what sounds like the same company. After my “back to work” day had passed, I filed for UI and was denied. I appealed and I had a telephone hearing. It was supposed to be a three-way meeting between me, state UI and the company office. The company office never called in. The state UI rep started by saying that I was “part of a two-man rotation and I couldn’t work in my off time”. When I produced evidence that I had worked in my off time on another job, the rep said that I needed a letter from the union explaining how vacation pay works. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get that. I could tell from the outset the UI rep was determined not to let me collect. I lost the appeal.
Another thing, years ago an unemployment rep explained to me that the “vacation pay” I received was not actually considered vacation pay. It was “uncollected wages”. To me, it made sense. It was money that I made while I was working and was only able to collect as a lump sump from the union when I got back. Perhaps “vacation pay” should be called something else?