Recognizing the Sacrifice and Hard Work of New York’s Union Workers

Photo Of Public Worker Defended By Personal Injury Lawyer - Carro, Carro & MitchellThe New York law firm of Carro, Carro & Mitchell has been privileged to represent injured workers and the families of deceased workers from almost every union in New York. Our firm has a long history of representing New York’s workforce as their personal injury lawyer. We would like to recognize the working men and women of New York and the unions that fight for their rights, safety, and well-being.

As I write this blog, New Yorkers are preparing to bid a sad farewell to a brave FDNY lieutenant, Gordon Matthew Ambelas, who was recently killed in a ferocious Brooklyn fire while searching for trapped civilians. Only weeks ago, Stephen Frosch, a New York City Department of Sanitation veteran of fifteen years, was struck and killed by a mechanical street sweeper in a Sanitation garage. These deaths highlight the daily sacrifices made by the workforce that keeps our city safe, clean, healthy, and running smoothly. These sacrifices range from time away from family, to on-the-job injury, and sometimes even death. These workers need and deserve a dedicated personal injury lawyer who will fight for them, just as their unions do.

District Council 37, New York City’s largest public employees’ union, is led by executive director Lillian Roberts and President Eddie Rodriguez. It is composed of 54 locals and approximately 120,000 public workers in New York City and State. It represents workers with hundreds of different job titles, including social service workers, museum employees, New York City construction laborers, traffic employees, EMT’s, and paramedics.

32 BJ SEIU is the largest union of property services workers in America, with 70,000 members in its New York district. Led by President Hector J. Figueroa, 32BJ represents cleaners, property maintenance workers, doormen, security officers, window cleaners, building engineers, and many others.

1199 SEIU, the United Healthcare Workers East union, is led by President George Gresham. Its members work in home care, hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, clinics, and other healthcare settings. With approximately 200,000 members in New York City, it is one of the largest union locals in the world. Its website expresses this noble sentiment: “The mission of our union is to improve and expand quality patient care, to protect and improve the lives of our members and our families, and to work in solidarity with working people in our community and around the world.” 1199 members provide more than healthcare. They provide information, reassurance and comfort when we are sick or injured. The personal injury lawyers of Carro, Carro & Mitchell have successfully represented dozens of members of 1199 and their injured family members.

Teamsters Local 273 has 24,000 employees who work for New York City government agencies such as the New York City Housing Authority, the Health and Hospitals Corporation, the City University of New York, and several municipalities on Long Island. Gregory Floyd is the president.

Union president Patrick Lynch leads the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA). The PBA represents approximately 23,000 uniformed police officers.

New York City firefighters, “the Bravest,” are represented by the Uniformed Firefighters’ Association (UFA). The UFA, led by President Steve Cassidy, was formed in 1917 and has approximately 9,000 active members.

FDNY officers, including lieutenants, captains, and chiefs, are represented by the Uniformed Fire Officers’ Association (UFOA) led by President Al Hagan.

New York City’s Sanitation Workers, “the Strongest” belong to Teamsters Local 831 led by President Harry Nespoli.

New York City’s “Boldest,” its Corrections Officers, are 9,000 strong – the largest municipal jail union in the nation. They like to say they police “the toughest precincts in New York – the City jails.” Their president is Norman Seabrook.

Workers in the New York City Public Transportation System, and some private bus lines, belong to Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). Their membership is 38,000 strong with approximately 26,000 retirees. Their president is John Samuelson.

Michael Mulgrew heads the United Federation of Teachers, which has approximately 200,000 members. In addition to teachers, the union represents classroom paraprofessionals, secretaries, guidance counselors, psychologists, and social workers.

The hard work of building and maintaining the homes, hospitals, schools, workplaces and infrastructure of the city is done by its many construction trade unions. Construction has one of the highest rates of injury of any industry. Fortunately New York has laws giving construction workers special legal protection if they are injured.  It is critically important that injured construction workers consult with a personal injury lawyer, like those at Carro, Carro & Mitchell, who have decades of experience in this specialized area. New York construction workers are represented by various union locals in these trades as well as others: ironworkers, carpenters, operating engineers, cement and concrete workers, painters, bricklayers, plumbers, laborers, steamfitters, electrical workers, elevator constructors, and lathers.

There are many other unions, large and small, representing the working men and women of New York, and we regret we cannot mention them all. But we tip our hat to each of them for their work on behalf of their members. If you are a working man or woman, a personal injury lawyer from Carro, Carro & Mitchell would like to extend to you the courtesy of answering, for free, any question you may have on a legal matter.

If you or a family member has been injured, at work or outside of work, call and speak to a personal injury lawyer at Carro, Carro & Mitchell to find out your rights.

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