Public Employee Press

NextWavers join WTC Health Program's poster drive

By JOSEPH LOPEZ

The next time you buy lunch at a deli in lower Manhattan, be sure to read the flyers and posters displayed there. One of them just might save your life. The DC 37 Safety and Health Dept. joined forces April 5 with Local 1549's NextWave committee to encourage nearly 100 local businesses to display information on the World Trade Center Health Program.

Workers and residents who were in the area on 9/11 and were potentially exposed to the toxic dust from Ground Zero may qualify for the program and its benefits, but most are unaware of the program. "It's tragic how many people are not enrolled who should be," said Outreach Specialist Liam Lynch.

Nearly a dozen NextWavers and other volunteers visited shops and stores throughout the Financial District, TriBeCa, and parts of Canal Street to hand out informative posters and other literature.

"The next generation is learning that building a union means building community alliances," said District Council 37 and Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.

The program was created under the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which DC 37 fought hard to pass. While most people know that first responders were among the victims, many survivors in civilian jobs around the towers are also dealing with serious health issues.

"I felt completely forgotten, like the bottom of the heap," said retired Senior Police Administrative Aid Mildred Carter, a Local 1549 member who worked at One Police Plaza on 9/11 and the days following. "I wasn't at Ground Zero, but I was breathing the same air," she said. As uniformed officers walked by her desk, the ash and dust they were covered in settled on every surface.

Carter signed up for the WTC Health Program at the union's urging, and after seven years it was confirmed that she suffers from various 9/11-related health issues. "I thank God every day that I joined the program," she said.

The poster campaign will continue this summer and fall, targeting areas of Chinatown and Brooklyn. DC 37 members interested in volunteering can contact Lynch at 212-815-1692.