People in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been hit hard by hurricanes in the past few weeks. In Puerto Rico, tens of thousands of people are without power and are in desperate need of clean drinking water, food and medical supplies.
Union members are stepping up to help. A group of 300 AFL-CIO members are being deployed to Puerto Rico this Wednesday to bring their skills and expertise to lend a hand and do relief work on the island.
A plane has been chartered to bring more than 300 unionists -- nurses, health care professionals, transportation workers, construction workers, electricians, heavy equipment operators and more – to volunteer 2 weeks of their time to help with recovery efforts. Volunteers will be living dormitory style at the San Juan Coliseum and sleeping on cots. This is the heart and soul of the labor movement, standing together as one in good times and bad to lift one another up.
“Our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico need help and this is a race against time,” said Captain Todd Insler, Chairman, ALPA United Airlines. “The ALPA pilots of United Airlines are honored to fly these skilled workers and medical professionals to San Juan today, and will continue to support the humanitarian efforts going forward. We applaud these brave volunteers who are dedicating their time, selflessly leaving their homes and families, and answering the call to help. The strength of the unions represented on this flight comes from workers joining together to help one another. Likewise, the strength of this joint relief effort comes from all of us—labor, management and government—standing together to help our fellow citizens in their time of need.”
When families are in crisis, the labor movement stands as one in solidarity. Your tax-deductible donation to the Union Community Fund 501(c)(3) will go to hurricane relief and recovery efforts in these U.S. territories, or where it's needed most.
Please send a check made payable to:
THE UNION COMMUNITY FUND
ATTN: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT
815 16TH ST., NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20006
The Union Community Fund is an exempt organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and donations it receives are tax-deductible.
Our union brothers and sisters and fellow Americans remain in crisis in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. So many working families have lost their homes, their workplaces and are struggling to survive. In the labor movement, solidarity is our strength.
Right now is time to let our brother and sisters in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands feel the solidarity of our union family. Please donate what you can to the Union Community relief efforts today.
“The working families of Puerto Rico are our brothers and sisters. And this incredible partnership will bring skilled workers to the front lines to deliver supplies, care for victims and rebuild Puerto Rico,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “Our movement is at its best when we work together during times of great need. But we are even better when we find common ground and partner with business and industry on solutions to lift up our communities. This endeavor is entirely about working people helping working people in every way possible. In times of great tragedy, our country comes together, and we are committed to doing our part to assist the people of Puerto Rico.”
“When our union sisters and brothers see a need in our national or international community, we don’t ask if we should act, we ask how,” said AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson. “Today is the result of our collective strength, compassion and commitment to action. I am proud United responded to the call to carry a union of relief workers among America’s working families to care for our sisters and brothers in Puerto Rico. We are united in lifting up our fellow Americans. It is an honor to serve on the volunteer crew of Flight Attendants and Pilots transporting skilled relief workers and returning to New York with hundreds needing safe passage out of Puerto Rico.”
“This flight carries not only much-needed supplies and skilled union labor, but also the love and support of more than 33,000 IAM members at United who will continue helping the people of Puerto Rico recover,” said IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja.
“When our communities call out for help, we can come together and solve the biggest challenges by summoning the best of ourselves. We’ve answered this call many times over the past couple months, and Puerto Rico is no exception,” said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines. “This flight embodies how working Americans, union leaders and business can unite with a shared sense of purpose to make a life-changing difference at this critical moment. We are deeply grateful to all of the first responders, highly skilled professionals and United employees who are going above and beyond to come to the aid of Puerto Rico.”
Unions throughout America have continued to offer supplies and other volunteer efforts in addition to today’s flight. Members on today’s flight are represented by 20 unions from 17 states.
AFA-CWA
AFT
ALPA
AFSCME
Boilermakers
Cement Masons
CWA
IBEW
IBT
Ironworkers
IUPAT
Machinists
NNU
OPEIU
Operating Engineers
Plumbers/Pipefitters
SEIU
UAW
USW
Utility Workers
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