Catherwood LibraryILR School

Following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, nearly 300 members of the AFL-CIO assembled to organize relief missions to the island. Nurses, engineers, doctors, construction and technology experts alike have flown to Puerto Rico to help mitigate the immense damage the territory’s infrastructure has endured as well as to provide relief to those living on the island that have lost their homes as well as friends and family members. Although Trump has praised FEMA for providing assistance to Puerto Ricans in need, unionists have made it clear that this has not been nearly enough as people seeking help collapse in the heat outside FEMA relief centers, which close every day at 2PM regardless of how many people are awaiting care. Members of SEIU, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers nurses’ sector are working to, at a minimum, teach those in need about how to access potable water and avoid illnesses during this dire time. While the head of the Puerto Rico Labor Federation is adamant that the U.S. has abandoned Puerto Rico, these union members have banded together to help in any way they can.