Furlough Support

As a PFT member, you can be certain your leadership works year-round to retain secure, good-paying jobs with meaningful healthcare, benefits and protections—in negotiation years and beyond.

Sometimes furloughs happen despite our best efforts to mitigate District budgetary environments that are often beyond our control.  Should a furlough occur, you are no less valued here! We encourage you to contact your staff representative or building rep in the event of a furlough.

Member Benefits Assistance For Job Interruption

In tough times, the following AFT + Member Benefits programs through Union Plus offer tools to help stretch your household budget. In addition, members who participate in certain AFT + benefits may be eligible for direct financial assistance in the event of work interruptions. For more information and eligibility, see www.unionplus.org/hardship..

Resources for Furloughed Members

Below are a list of government and non-profit services to help support you during your furlough or unemployed time.  

PA Department of Labor Resources:

Don’t underestimate the unique pressures of a potential furlough or layoff from work. To be forewarned is forearmed—the resources below are indispensible.

Unemployment Compensation:

To be eligible you must file for unemployment within the first week of becoming unemployed.

If you have questions for the state, use this contact page, which also tracks average state response time (currently 2-3 weeks to get an email returned on average):

https://www.uc.pa.gov/pages/contact-us-uc-benefits-info.aspx

Advantage Credit Counseling Service:

When in furlough, it might be necessary to seek financial advice to live on a smaller budget. Advantage Credit Counseling Service is a non-profit community agency that has been helping clients get back to basics since 1968.

PA Children’s Health Insurance Program:

Means-based health care coverage is available for your children, a COBRA alternative should your furlough be extended or you have difficulty in finding your next placement.

Summer Food Service Program:

The Summer Food Service Program is a national initiative of the USDA that helps to ensure food-insure children have access to nutritious meals.

The United Way – Help for Hard Times:

The United Way provides myriad services to families in need in Allegheny County.

The United Way(Web)

DHS

In addition to DHS, Allegheny County has a vast network of agencies and organizations that specialize in providing helpful information and services to those in need. While DHS is not directly responsible for all of these resources, we include them for the benefit of our residents.

Allegheny County Department of Human Services (Web)

PA CareerLink of Southwestern PA:

PA Career Link is the delivery system for employment, training, and education services in the commonwealth.  Programs are coordinated and delivered locally at PA CareerLink centers throughout the state.

Employment and Retraining:

View this page on the state website for a clearinghouse of information where furloughed educators can search for new employment or find job retraining resources.