Scratch, that's one of the nicest gestures I've ever heard of. And well deserved if the helper works like crazy and actually helps you. Now that UPS is doing so well, and the economy is so poor, there's no incentive to pay that bonus.
To the O.P., definitely speak to someone at the unemployment office. Tell them exactly what's going on. I'm in a similar situation waiting to work as a seasonal driver. I have not been called in because volume has been light. Or so I'm told. When I was a driver helper last yeat I was already working a lot the week before Thanksgiving. Don't get discouraged. Even though the money's awful, it can be a lot of fun. And it's only for a short time. As long as they know you're very interested in working, they'll probably call you. I always kept my phone by my bed so I wouldn't miss any early morning calls, but after about 9 am if you havent heard form them, you probably won't work that day.