Payroll glitch leaves some utility workers unpaid for Sandy

GRAFTON, Mass. (WHDH) -- Some National Grid workers say they haven’t been paid for the hours they put in during Hurricane Sandy.

For 11 days, Deanna D’Amato was on the front lines restoring power on Long Island after the superstorm.

“We worked 18-hour days and slept for six. And it was grueling being away from your family. It was tough, it was cold,” said Deanna D’Amato, a National Grid worker.

Now, the single mom of Grafton is struggling to pay the bills. D’Amato says National Grid has yet to pay her $9,000 in regular and overtime pay over the past month.

“My rent is coming due, my car payment is coming due. It’s -- my groceries are still there to be bought every week and it’s just getting difficult. I’ve had to dip into my savings,” said D’Amato.

The union representative for workers in Massachusetts says the problem started with what the company called a “computer glitch.”

“All we know is we had one payroll system that they used prior to November 1st and that worked fine. And they switched to this new one in the middle of a hurricane and it didn’t work at all,” said Dan Hurley, Local 369 president.

Hurley says the payroll glitch has left some workers with no overtime or less pay than earned, and in some cases, no check at all.

“We have people who were court ordered for pay alimony and child support towards…ex-wives. Children aren’t getting their pay. In some cases there may be warrants out for these people because they haven’t made their court order,” Hurley said.

Hurley says employees trying to collect their pay are getting the runaround and he just wants the company to make things right.

“They could have went out to the service centers and cut checks for these people or done something. But they haven’t even done that. They haven’t even apologized to these people,” said Hurley.

“They know they owe the money, they should be just cutting the checks,” D’Amato said.

National Grid said in a statement the company has apologized for the disruption and are working to fix the problem. National Grid also said the company is working directly with the impacted workers.