Honoring Those Lost and Impacted by 9/11

Monday, September 11, was the 22nd anniversary of the attacks on 9/11. We remember those who were tragically taken away from us, including our CWA, NABET-CWA, and AFA-CWA heroes who were working in the Twin Towers for the Port Authority of NY/NJ, on top of the twin towers servicing TV transmitters, on the job at the Pentagon, and in the skies on the flights that crashed that day. We honor the CWA telecom workers, nurses, 911 operators, traffic enforcement agents and supervisors, public sector members, broadcast engineers and news crews, journalists and media workers, volunteers, and all of those who played a crucial role in responding to this tragic event and rebuilding our country.

Members of AFA-CWA served in honor guards at remembrance services at the Pentagon, at the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

Every year, we are reminded that the impact of this tragic day is still being felt by those who contracted severe illnesses as a result of the 9/11 attacks and the work they have done in the years since. CWA encourages all eligible members to take full advantage of the programs that are available for 9/11 survivors and responders as soon as possible. Information about these available programs can be found here.

Unfortunately, the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides health care and medical monitoring for 9/11 responders and survivors, is facing an impending budget shortfall and could stop accepting new members or enact other service cuts in the future unless Congress acts. A coalition of concerned activists, including responders, survivors, and their families are mobilizing to put pressure on Congress to pass the bipartisan 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding and Correction Act to ensure that our heroes receive the care they need and deserve, now and into the future. On Monday, a group of unions, including CWA, wrote to congressional leaders, encouraging them to address the shortfall. Click here to find out more and take action.

AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson and CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam joined Flight Attendants from AFA-CWA and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants for 9/11 Remembrance Services at the Pentagon, where Nelson read a poem written by an American Airlines passenger service agent in 2001 for the Boston Crew Memorial.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.