Teamsters Local 237 will hold a meeting Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for all members who participated in rescue, recovery or cleanup efforts — whether paid or unpaid — following the World Trade Center Attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.



“More than 1,500 Local 237 members helped in the 9/11 recovery efforts,” said Donald Arnold, director of the Health and Safety department. Many members worked near the site, including school safety agents, campus peace officers, special officers, hospital police, and Housing Division members, who were among the participants at Ground Zero. “But only a few have registered to protect their rights” to compensation and medical care, Arnold said.

At the meeting, experts on Workers’ Compensation, NYCERS and the Mount Sinai WTC Monitoring Program will provide members with critical information about their rights in the event they become ill in the future due to exposure to toxic elements at Ground Zero. Most importantly, members will be instructed to register their participation with NYCERS by June 13, 2007, and with the Workers’ Compensation Board no later than Aug. 14, 2007, in order to protect their rights.

The rise of illnesses and deaths among workers who were exposed to toxins at Ground Zero made dramatic news Jan. 23, when New York Police Officer Cesar Borja died of pulmonary fibrosis hours before his 21-year-old son was to attend President Bush’s State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C., as a guest of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The son’s mission was to focus on the need for more federal funding to treat thousands of workers who have developed respiratory problems due to exposure to toxins at the Trade Center pile. Borja had worked 16-hour days for months in 2001, but he fell ill in 2006.

On Jan. 31 the White House proposed to spend an additional $25 million to fund the 9/11-related health care program at Mount Sinai hospital in New York through the end of this year. Studies released by the hospital have found that about 60 percent of people who helped in the 9/11 recovery developed lung problems, and those who arrived early at the site of the tragedy developed more serious problems.

Those who spent any time helping in the 9/11 recovery efforts are urged to register for their participation as early as possible. Mark your calendar for this urgent meeting sponsored by Local 237 on your behalf.

For other articles about the rights of first responders at Ground Zero, see the 2006 Newsline issues of March, April, May, September, and November (PDF format; each will open in a new window).