Public Employee Press

9/11 victims fund
Some with cancer must register by Oct. 12

With a key deadline on Oct. 12 for some union workers and responders to register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, survivors and responders are beginning to receive payments ranging from $10,000 to $4 million.

Legislation that DC 37 helped pass in 2011 expanded and reopened the VCF, which now provides compensation for people who suffered injury, disease or death due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks or during the clean-up immediately afterwards.

DC 37 members and retirees who may qualify should be aware of the following deadlines:

• Claimants diagnosed on or before Oct. 12, 2012, with one of the cancers added to the list on that date have until Oct. 12, 2014, to register.
• Claimants diagnosed with prostate cancer on or before Oct. 21, 2013, have until Oct. 21, 2015, to register.
• Claimants diagnosed with a cancer that is defined as rare by the WTC Health Program on or before Feb. 18, 2014, have until Feb. 18, 2016, to register.

In addition to first responders, the VCF has awarded payments to a range of municipal employees. Recent payouts have included lost earnings to a union member who has not worked in a decade due to injuries suffered during debris removal at Ground Zero; a pain and suffering award to a Transportation Dept. employee who worked for months at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, and an award to a mayoral agency worker with terminal cancer that will provide financial security for his family in the future.

Some members have expressed concern over the VCF's delays in processing claims and the difficulty of completing the forms. Many lack all the required information.

"City agencies as employers failed to maintain accurate records of workers' attendance and assignments," said DC 37 Safety and Health Dept. Director Guille Mejia. Worksites also failed to maintain records of the harmful and toxic materials workers were exposed to. "They had an obligation and responsibility to keep accurate records," Mejia said.

Members with questions about filing claims should contact the DC 37 Safety & Health Dept. at 212-815-1685 or the VCF at 855-885-1555 or visit www.vcf.gov.

— Joseph Lopez