Public Employee Press

Safety Dept. adds outreach staffer for 9/11 health program

The union's Safety Dept. has added Outreach Specialist Darrah Sipe under a $250,000 grant the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently awarded to DC 37 to do outreach for the World Trade Center Health Program.

The program provides health screening, monitoring and treatment for workers, retirees, volunteers and neighborhood residents who may be sick from 9/11 exposure. The outreach effort will include members and retirees from DC 37 and colleagues from DC 37's parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, who came from across the country to help New Yorkers deal with the tragedy.

Sipe brings impressive background, commitment and skills to the job. She has a master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago and is fluent in French and Spanish. She has worked for the Retail Action Project in New York City and for the Arise Chicago Worker Center, where she participated in workplace justice campaigns with low-wage immigrant workers.

Outside of work, Sipe has been involved with the New Sanctuary Movement, an immigrant justice group. She moved to New York with her new (as of July) husband, who is attending law school.

"It's essential for 9/11 responders, volunteers and survivors to know about the World Trade Center Health Program. I look forward to helping DC 37 and AFSCME members and retirees learn about the services and support the program offers," Sipe said.