PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Oregon’s unemployment system got an upgrade this year. But for many people using it, the technology is more of a pain than a gain.
We’ve heard from dozens of you about long hold times and an inability to reach anyone on the phone to discuss a claim.
FOX 12 investigative reporter Ezra Kaplan looked into the issues with the system and found the problems go back years.
The Oregon Employment Department’s new software was supposed to make it easier to file for unemployment claims. When a claim is simple, the system works great. But getting a problem resolved can mean a serious headache.
Advertisement
Over the past two months Makela Karisa developed a weekend routine.
“So every Sunday we’re to go online and file a weekly claim, which is what jobs we’ve look for,” said Karisa. “Well, that link to do that has never worked. So if you missed filing on Sunday you have to call.”
But getting someone to pick up a phone call? Good luck.
“So calling looks like this,” explained Karisa. “You dial redial for 30 minutes because the whole day minus queue is full. Then you wait another three to seven hours.”
One time she made it through to a manager.
Advertisement
“She’s the one that said, ‘I’ll call you back at 2:30 with a solution to your website issues,’ and it’s been six days. I have not heard back from her,” said Karisa.
Oregon’s unemployment insurance has been going through a major technology upgrade over the past few years.
During the pandemic, the seriously outdated software the agency used couldn’t keep up with the volume of claims or the various new federal programs.
SEE ALSO:Oregon’s third largest county has been denied funding for their drug deflection program.
That’s where Frances comes in.
Advertisement
With a price tag of $106 million and more than a decade overdue, the new software program is the same system used by the new Paid Leave Oregon program.
The promise to tax payers is an easier experience.
“So basically I’m stuck in a reoccurring loop or I can’t get any closure or any help and there’s no way to escalate and I kind of would like my money,” said Karisa.
Employers in Oregon pay into the unemployment insurance trust fund on their workers’ behalf.
“How does that feel, knowing that this is money that you’ve paid into?” we asked.
Advertisement
“It feels like theft. It feels like fraud. Because they won’t let me talk to anybody higher up to get resolution, what is my hope? I’m just going to go up the government food chain until I can find somebody that will help me,” said Karisa.
We decided to take her complaints all the way up the food chain to David Gerstenfeld, the director at the Oregon Employment Department. With about 450 employees, the agency handles a huge volume of claims.
“We’re getting, depending on the time of year, maybe, and even with pretty low unemployment, 30 to 35,000 people a week that are claiming benefits,” said Gerstenfeld.
What’s clear is that they need more human beings to process complex claims and labor costs money.
During the 2023 legislative session, Gerstenfeld asked the state legislature to increase funding for the agency. But even with the prospect of losing pandemic-era federal funding, legislators balked.
Advertisement
They finally approved funding this year for about 70 new hires.
SEE ALSO:Mult. Co. Vega Pederson said on Wednesday that local officials were united in their response to drug recriminalization, but without city leaders backing her up.
As of June 30, 75% of all claims were paid out within three weeks. That’s a significant improvement from April, when only half of those who applied got their payment in a timely manner.
But Gerstenfeld acknowledges, his agency has fallen short this year.
“I am very sorry, and our employees are sorry, the people work here I mentioned before, because we’re here to help people, and we know that it’s frustrating and it’s really frustrating and painful for us to know that we’re not able to meet the need,” said Gerstenfeld.
Advertisement
There are a lot of folks out there wanting more than just an apology.
From Reddit threads to Facebook groups, thousands of people are trying to navigate the system that’s supposed to support them while they look for a new job.
This story does have a happy ending, at least for Michaela.
One day after I interviewed the head of the department of employment and asked about her case, she suddenly had her benefits paid out.
They even said that they would be calling on Monday to make sure she was able to file.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
Advertisement
The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
Advertisement
Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
Advertisement
UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
Sign up today for OPB’s “First Look” – your daily guide to the most important news and culture stories from around the Northwest.
Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
Advertisement
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
Advertisement
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
Advertisement
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
