Public Employee Press

Workers and Sandy: long hours, "crucial contributions"

Leaders from several unions spoke out on workers' response to Hurricane Sandy in a panel discussion held March 7 at the Manhattan headquarters of Service Employees Local 32BJ.

DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido highlighted the crucial contributions of Local 1549's dedicated 911 operators, who worked three shifts in a row during the storm that bought so much destruction to the city. Garrido also pointed out a disturbing pattern regarding city workers and disasters: "After the disaster city employees are praised for their efforts, but then as time passes they are vilified," he said.

Garrido argued that the budget cuts imposed by the Bloomberg administration have left some agencies with fewer personnel than they need to do their most effective work.

Celeste Kirkland, vice chair of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said her members "prepare for disasters and emergencies every day." She said that during Sandy and its aftermath, many TWU members worked for a week without going home.

John Duffy, vice president of the Utility Workers Union, which represents Con Edison employees, charged that deregulation had caused the poor quality of maintenance and service provided by the giant utility.

"We have a third-world utility operation in New York City," he said. "We should take the profit out of essential services."

DC 37 Executive Board member Jon Forster moderated the discussion, which also included Rosa Pavanelli, the head of Public Services International, a federation of public-sector unions. The day before the forum Pavanelli spoke to a panel at the United Nations on the role of unions in preventing and recovering from natural disasters.

—Alfredo Alvarado