Six members from New York City-based AFSCME District Council 37 (DC 37) are in Puerto Rico to help residents rebuild their lives after Hurricane Maria devastated the commonwealth.
The Caribbean island, home to 3.5 million U.S. citizens, is in desperate need of highly skilled workers.
The DC 37 members are lending their expertise to the larger relief effort under way as our union works to help all residents get back on their feet, including thousands of working and retired AFSCME sisters and brothers represented by Servidores Publicos Unidos de Puerto Rico (SPUPR)/AFSCME Council 95.
Partnering with the AFL-CIO and some of its member unions, AFSCME sent five construction workers and a nurse to the island.
AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders said the DC 37 members’ efforts are characteristic of how the women and men of AFSCME show their commitment to service even beyond their communities.
“This is what AFSCME does when times get tough. We step up for one another,” Saunders said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s down the road or across the country. It’s about serving those who need our help.”