By DIANE S. WILLIAMS The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released its policy for the program and the application program for relief is expected to start on April 12. The maximum amount of financial aid available is $9,000 per funeral. Those applicants with multiple deceased individuals can receive up to a maximum of $35,500 per application. FEMA warns the bereaved to beware of scammers. FEMA has received reports of scammers reaching out individuals claiming to offer help applying for this funeral assistance. If anyone contacts you about this program before you have personally registered for aid, it is a scam. FEMA will not contact you prior to registration. Please protect yourself and do not share funeral-related documentation. FEMA federal funeral assistance can be used to help with expenses for funeral services and interment or cremation. Beginning April 12, 2021, FEMA will start taking calls for assistance with applying for funeral aid. Call 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. According to FEMA, a death must meet at least these criteria to qualify for aid: The death certificate must indicate the death was caused by COVID-19The death happened in the United States, including [...]— Apr 12
NONSTOP HEROES: Three New York City first responders, Local 2507 FDNY Paramedic and mental health counselor Andria Connell, President and FDNY EMT Oren Barzilay, and Local 3621 FDNY Lieutenant Krystal Hayes at Los Angeles International Airport after their midflight rescue of a Jet Blue passenger. By DIANE S. WILLIAMS Three New York City Emergency Medical Services Paramedics saved a distressed airline passenger on a Sunday night Jet Blue flight to California on March 28. Their heroic and quick action midflight also helped the airline avoid an emergency landing. “We had been in the air about four hours and I had dozed off when a flight attendant called for help with a medical emergency,” said Krystal Hayes, a 14-year veteran FDNY Lieutenant and member of EMS Officers Local 3621. Although their seats were scattered, Paramedics Andria Connell and Oren Barzilay immediately stood up together with Hayes and came forward as volunteers to help the elderly woman who had difficulty breathing. “She could not talk,” said Hayes. When she was able to speak she said there were too many people on the flight.” The three first responders asked permission to evaluate the woman’s vitals. Barzilay asked the daughter to give him her seat [...]— Apr 9
By DIANE S. WILLIAMS Dozens more DC 37 members who work at NYC’s cultural institutions are using MELS since union representatives on the Trust for Cultural Resources negotiated to restore the benefit in 2020. “Tops on our agenda was to restore the legal benefit to our 3,000 members and retirees. MELS is something you don’t know you need until you need it,” said Raul Domenech, president of Local 1501 Wildlife Conservation Society who is a cultural trustee. The benefit was suspended after the 2008 recession. “When a member is suddenly in a situation where they need a lawyer, whether buying a home or drowning in debt, MELS lawyers can help,” Domenech said. “It’s a union benefit that can save a member thousands of dollars.” Five trustees representing DC 37 worked to have the Cultural Trust restore the union-negotiated legal benefit to retirees and members of six DC 37 locals — 374, 1306, 1501, 1502, 1503, and 1559. These unionized employees of the world-renowned cultural institutions now can access the Municipal Employees Legal Services benefit with no increase in dues. As of Dec. 2020, MELS has opened about 125 legal cases for Cultural employees, with more underway. Of the legal services [...]— Apr 8
After several months of intense negotiations last year, our union and others in the Central Labor Council worked out a temporary no-layoff agreement with Mayor de Blasio that prevented the layoffs of 22,000 public workers. DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido We stood firm in our position that the City no longer could balance its budget on the backs of hard-working men and women. In exchange, we agreed that the City could defer payments to our union’s benefit funds, with the stipulation that an anticipated $5 billion in budget relief from Washington would extend this agreement until June 2022. With passage of the American Rescue Act, the City received $6 billion in aid, and Mayor Bill de Blasio affirmed that layoffs are off the table for another year. The deferred benefit fund payments were a small price to pay to save the jobs of essential workers during this pandemic, especially since we will get that money back. What matters the most is saving the jobs of our members who risked their lives every day to make sure this city continued running during the worst pandemic in a century. The only thank you that matters for these workers is that they [...]— Apr 6
Because of the New York State Budget negotiations, tomorrow’s rally is postponed. We will inform you of a new date when the rally is rescheduled. Join DC 37 and a growing coalition of groups from across New York as we call on Albany to pass the New York Public Banking Act (S1762A/A5782) which will create a framework for local communities to divest public funds from Wall Street and invest in racial, economic and environmental justice! You can register for the zoom here. Join the zoom on Tuesday April 6 at noon. #PublicBanksNY— Apr 5
