From left, New York City Housing Authority Caretakers Lorraine Aponte, Dianne Babb and Laverne Jusino display certificates recognizing their efforts to promote safety on the job. They are joined by Thomas Puleo, NYCHA security manager, and Michael Wagoner, a former administrator, Queens/Staten Island. (Peter Mikoleski: NYCHA Photo Unit)

By Diane Stein
Health and Safety Coordinator

Local 237 participated in a Safety Symposium hosted by New York City Housing Authority at the Johnson Community Center in the James Weldon Johnson Houses in East Harlem on June 18. The purpose of the symposium was to review the accomplishments of the past year and plan how to move the safety program forward. For the past several years, Local 237 has worked jointly with NYCHA to improve working conditions and reduce the number of people that are hurt on the job.

Since 2009, when Local 237 launched a Safety Training Program to address health and safety issues in the workplace, the union’s priority has been to instruct members to identify and report safety and health concerns. “It’s the people on the job every day who can work together with the union to keep our members safe,” said President Gregory Floyd.

Michael Kelly, NYCHA general manager, reported that the injury rate dropped 7 percent between 2013 and 2014. This drop is due in large part to the work of Local 237 Safety Associates. They are at the heart of NYCHA’s safety program. Safety Associates are deployed throughout the housing developments where they give generously of their time and talent to make sure that hazards are corrected and their co-workers stay safe. Some of the improvements Safety Associates have helped bring about include quicker fixes for stoppages, repairing trip-and-fall hazards, and ensuring that workers are not assigned to put themselves in harm’s way, such as by standing on canopies to clean them.

Celina Soto, caretaker at Wagner Houses in East Harlem, and Lateisha Harley, caretaker at Polo Grounds Towers in Manhattan, as well as a group of other NYCHA workers perform dramatizations about safety on the job as members of the SafeNYCHA Players.

President Gregory Floyd credited the Safety Associates program, noting that “It is clear that when there is real cooperation, our members can work with NYCHA to accomplish great things, like this reduction in injuries. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen.”

This year’s symposium featured Local 237 in several special ways, including The SafeNYCHA Players, an acting troupe comprised mostly of Local 237 members. The Players wrote and performed short plays depicting NYCHA Safety Past, Present and Future. The display of talent confirmed that our members have many skills beyond those they employ each day on the job.

In addition, six Local 237 members were recognized for their work to promote safety at NYCHA. They are Lorraine Aponte, chief caretaker, Claremont Consolidated; Diane Babb, Caretaker J,Williamsburg Houses; Laverne “Karen” Jusino, Caretaker X, Boston-Secor; Juanita “Fabulous” Pena, maintenance worker, St. Mary’s Houses; Lamark Vaughn, assistant resident buildings superintendent, Technical Services; and Peter Whitley, property maintenance supervisor, Cooper Park.

President Floyd said he looks forward to advancing the program in the coming year with a special emphasis on reducing retaliation on the job. “When our members feel safe to come forward with their safety complaints and issues, this program will grow even more. We will work to make sure that every single member can bring up problems without fear of intimidation or retaliation. We trust that NYCHA will work hand-in-hand with us to achieve this goal.”