Workers' World Today - Issue 36

BY CARY COOPER THE CONVERSATION

Quiet quitting is a catchy name, popu larised on social media, for something we’ve all probably done. Its popularity is probably down to the in evitable and much-needed pushback against “hustle cul ture”, where younger workers are encouraged to over-func tion and engage in unsustain able “performative

productivity” – looking like you are working harder than you are – to get ahead in their careers. This comes at the ex pense of their wellbeing and capacity to engage meaning fully with their work.

Hesitance to perform duties outside of what your role re quires can be a symptom of low engagement, which can be connected to how you are managed. According to Gallup’s 2022 “state of the

Local Unions Sue Consulting Giant for Opioid Crisis Money

Agroup

of union health funds this week sued global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. for its role in the opioid crisis — claiming they’ve spent so much money on members’ prescrip tions and treatment for addiction that they’ve had to tap into pension funds to cover those costs.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Queens Supreme Court on behalf of 50 local health and welfare funds covering dozens of construction trade and other unions, including ironworkers, laborers, metal pol

BY WALTER EWING

The

Republican governors of Texas, Ari zona, and now Florida are playing a cynical political game with the lives of migrants—including many asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Officials in these states Romance: Four Questions to Ask Yourself

BY

Supports Workers’ World Today

Recently,I was in Al bany fighting and seeking support of A1261/S1947, legislation that will create a clear def inition of public work and level the playing field for New York’s contractors.

District Council 9 Painters and Allied Trades Union (DC9), the union for painters, prides itself on being a strong advocate for workers’ rights and safety. We are excited about this new publica tion, Workers’ World Today, which covers the issues of relevance and concern for all workers. We are encouraged that all workers: blue and white collar will have a voice and platform. Congratulations on your inaugural issue. We wish much success to the lead ers and team of Workers’ World Today and pledge our support.p

Davon Lomax Political Director, DC9

Public Sector Workers Have Been Pushed to the Brink

BY MEGAN TACKNEY URBAN MATTERS

Atthe onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans applauded them as “essential.” Today, however, local public sector workers who shouldered many of the pandemic’s heav iest burdens feel more ex hausted, beleaguered, left behind, and even resented than loved or respected.

Consider these facts:

•New York City government headcount is the lowest it’s been in five years. The City’s Independent Budget Office and the State Comptroller have recently reported staffing shortages that leave the City with an overall vacancy rate of 7.5 percent. In 12 agencies it ex ceeds 10 percent, with staffing declines concentrated in the human services, education, public health, and public safety. A July front page New York Times story delved into the reasons, citing plummeting morale, increasing workloads, low pay, competition from the private sector, a ban on remote work, and a combination of rapid retirement and limited hiring.

•Nor is this only a local prob lem. In May, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office released a new advisory to address the health care worker burnout crisis in localities. It cited causes that included severe PTSD and the threat – and reality – of vio lence directed against workers, all arising from the pandemic. It projected a resulting national shortage of millions of health care workers.

•A report six months ago from the Center for American Progress found that, nation ally, the workforce in state and local governments remains smaller today than it was be

fore the Great Recession of 2008-09. And only the leisure and hospitality sector of the workforce has sustained deeper and more long-lasting job losses from the pandemic’s economic dislocations.

In our federal system of gov ernment, some of the most crit ical functions, including social services, health, education, and public safety, are princi pally local responsibilities. The experience of the past three years has put enormous addi tional stresses on the people –many of them women and people of color – who carry them out.

These stresses aren’t going away. The federal funding that provided Covid-related emer gency relief to local govern ments is expiring. Temporary benefits that have helped fam ilies and workers keep their heads above water financially, such as the child tax credit, continuous Medicaid cover age, and expanded unemploy ment assistance, have either already ended, or soon will. As the tide of temporary financial and health care support runs out, the remaining social prob lems will become more visible and urgent.

The profusion of new statelevel restrictions on abortions resulting from the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Dobbs decision will almost certainly add to these burdens. They're likely to make complex and fatal pregnancies more likely, severely inhibit women’s eco nomic and educational attain ment, and increase the number of families unable to support children who may themselves have complicated medical needs.

Politicians, including in New York City, are fond of exhort ing local government workers to do more with less – to be

more efficient and make greater use of technology to do their jobs. But my experience in government at both the na tional and local levels con vinces me that there are real limits to automating and inno vating your way to better gov ernment.

You also must invest in the people that serve. That means implementing compensation and retention structures that fully recognize the critical roles they play.

If we don’t, we’re likely to find ourselves flirting with dis aster.

We need an entire shift in the perception of the public serv ice workers who care for our communities. They perform difficult tasks with skill and expertise; they must be re cruited, valued, and managed accordingly. They deserve competitive wages and bene fits, including paid parental leave, affordable child care, and hazard pay. How can these workers support a city if they can’t even afford to live in it?

We should also pilot new models of work. At a mini mum, public sector workers should not be saddled with im possible work assignments or unrealistically high caseloads. There also must be adoption, where appropriate, of remote and hybrid work, alternative work schedules, and tempo rary assignments so expert staff can move around to learn new topics and step in where they’re needed most. The pri vate sector and parts of the federal government have al ready started to adopt these re forms. Now local governments need to evolve, too.

We must also recognize that dealing day in and day out with society’s most difficult challenges has serious effects

In Solidarity

TEAM

Publisher Workers’ World Today, Inc

Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip

Contributing Writers

Linda Nwoke Victoria Falk

Travis Morales

Mary Campbell

Janet Howard

Shaquille Baird

Chris Tobias

Erin Telesford

Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Telephone 1-866-435-3286

Email info@workersworldtoday.com

Visit us at www.workersworldtoday.com

on mental health. We have a responsibility to ensure these workers receive high-quality mental health supports, are not bullied by politicians or supervisors, and are protected by a zero-tolerance policy for any violence that may be di rected against them.

Labor Day's annual recogni tion of American workers is now in the rearview mirror –but the challenges confronting public sector workers, and the slow-motion crisis created by the understaffing of critical public services, still loom ahead. Meeting them should be a top priority for officials at every level of government – in public policy and in collective bargaining agreements. An equitable recovery and future depend on reimagining what is possible for these workers and for our communities. p

Megan Tackney was until recently Executive Director of the NYC Children’s Cabinet and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. She also worked on issues of labor and gender equity at Humanity United and the National Women's Law Center.

DCWP Releases Annual Report on the State of Workers’ Rights in NYC

NEWYORK: New York Department of Con sumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commis sioner Vilda Vera Mayuga on Friday, Sept 23 announced the release of its annual “The State of Workers’ Rights in New York City” report. The report outlines DCWP’s work during 2021 to protect New Yorkers who performed essential serv ices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, raise labor stan dards through new policies, enforce worker protection laws, and educate businesses and workers alike.

“As New York City continues to prioritize an equitable re covery, it’s important to reflect on the accomplishments and challenges of the past year,” said DCWP Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga. “Throughout 2021, DCWP went above and beyond to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and raise labor standards for workers

across different industries, in cluding food delivery, domes tic and fast food workers. I look forward to continuing our ongoing commitment to creat ing a strong and vibrant city for workers, consumers and businesses.”

Key takeaways from the re port include: •DCWP’s ongoing response to COVID-19. In year two of the pandemic, DCWP contin ued to enforce one of the most important public health poli cies to fight the spread of COVID-19: paid sick leave, as

well as reopening policies.

oDCWP helped workers with return-to-work questions and complaints via the Worker Protection Hotline, connected workers with information and referrals on critical state-level laws such as emergency sick leave, wage and hour rights, and unemployment insurance benefits.

oDCWP partnered with NYC Test & Treat Corps and NYC Health Department to share worker rights resources at test ing locations and vaccination

sites, targeting education and outreach in 16 communities with high COVID-19 death rates and a high incidence of sick leave complaints, and de veloped COVID-19 and Paid Sick Leave, a plain language overview of federal, state, and City laws translated into 13 languages.

oDCWP launched a new pub lic awareness campaign to raise awareness of NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law and new rights that took effect in 2021, among them an increase in the minimum amount of leave to 56 hours for many em ployees and equal protections for domestic workers.

oDCWP continued to partici pate in a multiagency effort within City government to en force worker safety and vacci nation requirements, prioritizing education and compliance. DCWP partici pated in approximately 11,000 inspections for health and safety compliance in 2021.

•New polices to strengthen workers’ rights. The need to create and expand upon strong labor protections has only in creased during the pandemic, and DCWP played a crucial role in multiple groundbreak ing local labor laws.

oThe City passed legislation to regulate the online third-party food delivery service industry, giving workers who do restau rant deliveries for an app new and important protections.

oDCWP implemented “Just Cause” legislation under the Fair Workweek Law, which guarantees fast food workers protection from being fired or having their hours reduced without just cause or a bona fide economic reason.

oDCWP worked with other stakeholders to amend NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law to include leave time for work ers taking a child to a vaccina tion appointment.

Understanding AFib: Living With and Treating a Common Condition

Workers’ Rights in NYC/ continued from page 4

Adiagnosis

of atrial fib rillation (AFib) may be scary, but it doesn’t have to hold you back from en joying life. Learning more about the condition and treat ment options can significantly affect your prognosis and quality of living.

AFib is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm. It oc curs when the upper chambers of the heart, called the atria, beat rapidly or in an uncon trolled manner. AFib can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including heart palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty exercising, anxiety, chest pain and dizziness.

AFib impacts nearly 40 mil lion people worldwide, ac cording to research published in the “International Journal of Stroke,” including 6 million people in the United States alone. Despite its prevalence, many people are unfamiliar

with the symptoms, available treatment options and impor tance of early treatment to avoid disease progression or other life-threatening compli cations such as a stroke.

More than a quarter of adults living with AFib have fears and anxiety about the progres sive nature of the disease, ac cording to a survey conducted by Biosense Webster, Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech. However, a quarter of patients did not get treat ment immediately after diag nosis and 44% of patients have ended up in the emergency room due to their condition.

Speak to Your Doctor

Despite half of adults 55 and older believing they may be at risk for AFib, only one-fifth (18%) said their doctors have ever discussed AFib with them and even less (10%) have proactively spoken to their doctors about it. Recognizing

symptoms and talking to your doctor as soon as possible can help prevent the progression of AFib.

Make Lifestyle Changes

About 1 in 4 adults over the age of 40 are at risk of develop ing AFib. The causes are wideranging and include non-modifiable and lifestyle factors. Some non-modifiable risk factors include age, family history and a heart disease di agnosis.

Making lifestyle changes to control factors such as obesity, smoking and sleep apnea may help lower your risk. Limiting alcohol and caffeine consump tion and controlling your stress can also reduce your risk and may help manage AFib episodes.

Consider Treatment Options

For most AFib patients, treat ment begins with medication. Medications can be used for

controlling your heart rate, rhythm and blood thickness, but about half of patients don’t respond to or can’t tolerate medications. Catheter ablation is a procedure to restore the heart’s incorrect electrical sig nals that cause an abnormal heart rhythm. It is recom mended by the American Col lege of Cardiology, the Heart Rhythm Society and the Amer ican Heart Association for pa tients when medication proves to be unsuccessful. (Fami lyFeatures)p

•Enforcement of NYC’s Worker Protection Laws. In 2021, DCWP secured $19.9 mil lion in cumulative worker pro tection restitution and penalties.

oFair Workweek Law: DCWP secured $622,722—an increase of 63 percent compared to 2020—for fast food workers whose employers violated the law’s scheduling protections. oPaid Safe and Sick Leave Law: DCWP secured nearly $3.2 million in restitution for over 7,800 workers due to mul tiple settlements in a largescale enforcement initiative in the home care industry.

oFreelance Isn’t Free Act: In December, DCWP worked to gether with the NYC Law De partment on a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against L’Officiel USA, the American subsidiary of a French-owned global media company that operates several print and digital magazines, and which was violating its payment commitments to free lancers producing content for the magazine.p

“Hugging my grandaughter is what I missed most during COVID.”

COVID was tough on older New Yorkers. But you can now get back to doing the things you love by protecting yourself. Get vaccinated and stay up to date with your booster shots.

Quiet Quitting/ continued from page 1 global workplace” report, only 21% of people are engaged at work. Engagement is crucial for retention and productivity more generally.

Research by management ex pert Emma Soane reveals that people’s engagement with work stems from three factors: how meaningful they find it, their perceptions of managers, and opportunities to have twoway conversations with said managers. So, if you’re feeling burned out and disengaged, what’s the best way to commu nicate with your manager about it?

Setting boundaries and ask ing questions

Simply quiet quitting without warning is a risky strategy. If you have a reputation for going the extra mile, it’s a bad idea to abruptly switch off that part of your workplace per sona. Transparency is impor tant, and good managers will be supportive when workers raise concerns about burnout and lack of engagement.

A conversation with your

boss could be the start of re form in your workplace that leads to a better environment for everyone, by helping work ers set boundaries that man agers respect. Be clear about your reasons for quiet quitting, and where your employer might be able to play a role in supporting your boundaries.

Ellen Ernst Kossek, an expert in work-life balance, identified three fundamental styles of boundary management. Em ployees seeking healthier boundaries tend to either sep arate work from the rest of their life entirely, integrate work into their life, or operate in cycles that combine both ap proaches. All are legitimate. Decide which approach works best for your specific circum

stances before having the con versation. And enter the dia logue with solutions in mind, not just complaints.

Even if you have a reasonably emotionally intelligent line manager, it is important to ask the right questions of your boss to get more involved and feel more valued. No point beating around the bush. Find a time when your boss is not stressed and is likely to be more open to dialogue, and let them know that you’re not very happy, and why. People who are quiet quitting may feel undervalued, overworked, exploited and want a better balance in their lives.

Here are some questions you could ask to get the conversa tion flowing:

•What do you really think of the quality of my work?

•What do you think about the hours I am working?

•How do you feel about my re lationship with other members of the team?

•Do you think you and I have a good working relationship?

Based on their response, you have the opportunity to let the boss know just how you feel. There is always a risk in doing this, depending on their open ness, but it’s better to speak up than to stay unhappy and op erating at half throttle.

Better engagement at work Organisations depend on hav ing an engaged workforce. En gagement is a fragile and precious resource. It can decay for a variety of reasons, includ ing avoidable and trivial frus trations. In a 2022 survey of IT workers, a whopping 84% of study participants reported being unhappy because of the software they were using.

It’s easy to see how low-level departmental gripes can de plete morale and engagement over time, leading to the sort of burnout that causes people to

quit, quietly or otherwise. Dominic Ashley-Timms, CEO of management performance consultancy Notion, is coau thoring a book on helping managers improve engage ment – ultimately minimising the negative effect of quiet quitting. He believes the key to improving engagement is for managers to ask better quality (and better timed) questions of their employees. If managers understand themselves in terms of the effect they have on their staff, they will better understand how to keep their employees engaged.

This is consistent with the concerns of the National Forum for Health and Wellbe ing at Work (a body of over 40 global employers), which has been advocating that man agers need to improve their so cial and interpersonal skills so that employees feel more val ued. Such engagement will lead to higher levels of produc tivity at work and less inclina tion towards quiet quitting.p

Cary Cooper is Professor of Or ganzational Psychology and Health, University of Manchester

What Are the True Costs of Selling a Home?

Are you thinking about selling your house?

Before you decide to list your home up for sale, it is helpful to get a clear picture of how much it's going to cost. Whether you are sprucing things up with a fresh coat of paint, replacing the roof mem brane or just covering your taxes, there will be a few bills to pay. Let's take a quick look at some of the true costs that you'll incur when selling your home.

Is Your Home Ready to Sell?

The first question you will need to answer is whether your home is ready to sell. Un less your house is relatively new, it will likely need repairs and maintenance. Depending on the age and condition of your home, you may also de cide to invest in a full home in spection. Having a professional inspector look things over is a good invest ment – especially if they find problem areas that require im

mediate attention.

Invest In a Good Real Estate Agent (And Their Commission)

To get the best price for your home, you will need to be represented by a great real estate agent. Of course, they are not going to work for free. Once the home sells, the agent is compen sated with a percentage of the sale price, which is known as a commis sion. In some cases, the home seller also pays the commission for the

buyer's real estate agent as well.

Factor In Costs During the Sales Process The selling process will also have its costs. From lawyers' fees to excise taxes, there is no shortage of small costs that can start to add up. You may decide to invest a bit in your open houses to make them more welcoming. Or you might need to close out your mortgage. What ever the case, be sure to leave some space in your budget for these costs.

Moving Out Will Cost You Too

Finally, don't forget to factor in the cost of mov ing to your new home. Many families fail to budget for moving expenses, which can be sig nificant if you are moving out of a large home with a lot of furniture.

As you can see, selling a home is a major fi nancial transaction and one that should be led by an experienced professional. When you are ready to begin the process of selling your home, give us a call. Our team of real estate profes sionals can advise you of local market condi tions and ensure that you receive top dollar when you sell.

If you have more in-depth questions, or want advice on selling your home, talk to your trusted real estate agent at Equity Smart Realty Inc. We would be happy to offer guidance. Call 888-670-6791.p

Senator Kaplan Earns Significant Union Support in Re-Election Bid

GLEN

COVE, NY: With less than 50 days to go until the November 8 election, New York State Sena tor Anna M. Kaplan (D-Port Washington) announced that she’s earned endorsements from three more major labor unions who are supporting her campaign for re-election. The latest endorsements come from the New York State Pub lic Employees Federation (PEF), the Enterprise Associa tion Steamfitters Local 638, and the International Brother hood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 25. Today's an nouncement is in addition to the 14 major labor union en dorsements Senator Kaplan previously announced.

“As State Senator, I’ve fought hard for unions and working families, and as long as I have the privilege of representing this community in the Senate, I will continue fighting for or ganized labor and the millions

of union families across the state,” said Senator Anna M. Kaplan. “I’m proud to be the labor candidate in this race, and I look forward to my con tinued partnership with these important organizations on be half of working families.”

PEF, Steamfitters Local 638, and IBEW Local 25 join the Long Island Federation of Labor, New York State AFLCIO, 1199 Service Employees

International Union (SEIU), 32BJ Service Employees Inter national Union, Laborers' In ternational Union of North America of New York, Ameri can Postal Workers Union (APWU), North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpen ters (NASRCC), Communica tions Workers of America (CWA) District 1, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), New York State

United Teachers (NYSUT), UFCW Local 1500, United Fed eration of Teachers, Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 338, Local One IATSE, SMART Local 28 Sheet Metal Workers, Transit Workers Union Local 100 (TWU), the Council of School Administrators (CSA), and the Uniformed Fire Offi cers Association in supporting Senator Kaplan’s re-election ef forts.

Wayne Spence, President of the New York State Public Em ployees Federation, said "The New York State Public Em ployees Federation is proud to endorse State Senator Anna Kaplan in her campaign for re election on Long Island. Sena tor Kaplan has always fought alongside organized labor, making sure that every New Yorker has access to dignified work with good wages and good benefits. We are excited to continue working with her

to deliver for Long Island fam ilies by creating greater oppor tunity for our members and for all workers across New York.”

James R. Sheeran, Jr., Presi dent of the Enterprise Associa tion Steamfitters Local 638, said “Anna Kaplan has been a tireless advocate for working people in her community. The Enterprise Association Steam fitters Local 638 is proud to continue our support for her, and look forward to sending her back to Albany, where she can continue to be a champion on our behalf.”

The growing coalition of labor unions supporting Sena tor Kaplan's re-election repre sent over 1.4 million union members across the State. New York continues to be a bedrock of the union movement, with approximately 1.72 million union members statewide, and more than 250,000 union mem bers on Long Island.p

Senator Anna Kaplan Photo courtesy: Senator’ Kaplan’s Office

AFL-CIO Partners with Permission to Dream

TheAFL-CIO is partner ing with the Permission to Dream program, cre ated by the Chris Gardner Foundation, to put students on the path to good careers through the security of a union job. As part of this collabora tion, the AFL-CIO and its affil iated unions will give students in disadvantaged communities the support they need to enter registered apprenticeship pro grams in the building and con struction trades.

The partnership will include a strong focus on ensuring that all students, especially stu dents of color, complete their high school education. Stu dents selected for the program will be required to maintain a

certain grade point average and complete the apprentice ship readiness program set by the North America’s Build ing Trades Unions.

Upon graduation from the program, students will have the opportunity to be placed in a paid, registered appren ticeship with an affiliate union, along with a stipend to cover the cost of all tools and equipment required, and will receive assistance with transportation to and from their training locations. p

For the First Time in History, Minor League Baseball Players Have a Union

Forthe first time since Branch Rickey developed the modern farm system, minor league base ball players will be represented by a union. An independent arbiter found Wednesday that authorization cards submitted by minor league players this month yielded a majority in favor of unionizing under the supervision of the Major League Baseball Players Association. That means the minor league players are officially union ized, represented by the MLBPA.

"Minor leaguers have gone more

than a century without union representation. In a multibil lion-dollar industry, there is no excuse to pay these players below the poverty line," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. "Now, by joining together to use their collective voice at the bargaining table, the minor leaguers will be able to advo cate for a union contract that will ensure a future with the good pay and benefits they de serve." p

NYC Celebrates

‘Don’t be Cheap’: Union Workers Rally Against Con Edison Contractor Outsourcing

Union

members from Communications Workers of America

Local 1101 rallied with sup porters outside Con Edison headquarters near Union Square Wednesday as the en ergy giant is reportedly plan ning to drop a union contract in favor of cheaper labor.

NYC Comptroller Brad Lan der, Senator Jessica Ramos, Senator Brad Hoylman, and more joined dozens of CWA members at 4 Irving Place im ploring ConEdison not to skimp on quality by dropping its unionized utility workers at the United States Infrastruc ture Corporation (USIC)— which is responsible for identifying electric and gas lines, water mains and inter net infrastructure prior to con

struction sites digging into New York City or Long Is land streets. CWA firmly reminded Con Edison that the level of expertise and experience from union workers is needed when dealing with underground systems that could potentially cause electrical outages or gas main ex plosions if not managed correctly, putting workers and residents at risk.

“I’ll tell you right now as a lifelong customer of ConEd, I am disgusted with what they are trying to do,” Local 1101 President Keith Purce said. “There could be a gas explosion, or an electrical outage, hospitals going out of power just because they wanted to hire cheaper labor.p

Anniversary of First Labor Day Parade with a Spectacular Return to Fifth Avenue

Thankyou to all who joined us on Saturday, September 10! The 2022 Labor Day Parade and March was a joyous return to Man hattan's famed Fifth Avenue after three long years, and a fitting commemoration of the first American Labor Day Parade right here in NYC 140 years ago. An incredible 80,000 people turned out to march with more than 200 unions as 26,000 spectators cheered on from the city's sidewalks. United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Pa rade Chairs AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond and New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon led the way for workers and their families, bands, dancers, floats, construc tion equipment, motorcycles, classic cars, and more. The weather was perfect as we made our way uptown, and our Parade Leaders greeted participants for hours as the procession made its way past the grand stand.p

Photo courtesy NYC Central Labor Council

ishers, and the union repre senting NYPD traffic enforce ment agents.

In the suit, they claim McK insey’s well-documented role working with Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, in pushing pain pills caused these organizations “substan tial injury” as they incurred “unreimbursed costs related to the over-prescription of opi oids.”

The filing notes that McKin sey had multiple consulting contracts with companies in cluding Purdue, which used aggressive sales strategies to push opioid prescriptions around the country.

The consulting giant entered into a “master consulting” agreement with Purdue in 2004 and spent years offering sales and marketing strategies on the sales of opioids, the suit alleges. In 2009, McKinsey was specifically tasked with help ing the pharmaceutical com pany increase OxyContin sales — pushing not just individual prescriptions but for the high est dosages of the pills, accord

ing to the lawsuit.

McKinsey’s role in pushing pain pills caused the New York unions “substantial in jury” as they incurred “unre imbursed costs related to the over-prescription of opioids,” their suit alleges.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer, David Grossman, told THE CITY that each of the unions has spent millions of dollars in under a decade on the effects of the opioid crisis.

Those costs include not only prescriptions but detox treat ments, rehabilitation facilities and other hospital stays for members, Grossman said.

Many of the health and wel fare funds named in the suit represent union workers who do manual labor with higher chances of being injured on the job.

As opioids were over-pre scribed, that caused healthcare ripple effects that forced the groups to find money through other funds, Grossman said.

“All the pension funds are in crisis right now because the opioid bills were so much they bled the unions dry, they had to short the fund,” he told THE CITY.

Getting in Line

A spokesperson for McKinsey & Company did not respond to multiple emails seeking com ment.

The 96-year old firm settled with 49 states in 2021 over its role working with Purdue and other companies that produce addictive painkillers like Oxy Contin.

The company was ordered to pay out nearly $600 million in damages to these states from the opioid crisis, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

New York received more than $32 million, which is being used to pay for preven tion and treatment programs

But the money paid out to New York was not enough to cover the damages caused by the crisis, said Grossman, who added that the union health funds were not part of the orig inal suit and are not exempt from filing for their own dam ages under that law.

He did not say how much money the unions are seeking in damages as they attempt to replenish some of the money paid out over the course of the opioid crisis — even if that can’t fully cover the stress and pain caused.

“Nobody’s going to be made

whole by the end of this,” he said.

Other unions have previously taken other action against pharmaceutical companies.

In 2017, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters led a campaign to encourage the shareholders of pharmaceuti cal company McKesson Corp. to vote against a pay increase for the company’s CEO.

Earlier this year, McKesson settled with nearly every state in the nation and agreed to pay $7.4 billion over the next 18 years over its role in the crisis.

“The pharmaceutical compa nies have profited from the opioid epidemic that has wrecked families and ruined lives,” Louis A. Picani, the president and principal officer of Teamsters Local 456, one of the locals named in the new suit, told THE CITY in a state ment.

“We have lost too many members and their loved ones. It has to end, and those respon sible must be held to ac count.”p

This story was published by on Sept 23, 2022 by THE CITY.

for opioid addiction, according to Attorney General Letitia James.

Local Unions Sue/

Construction workers at 270 Park Avenue attend an event with Gov. Kathy Hochul, April 14, 2022.

Hiram Alejandro Durán/THE CITY

The Immigrant's Journal Celebrates 25 Years: Countdown Begins with FREE Immigration Boot Camp

Overthe years, immi grants have been de monized, especially during President Trump's ad ministration. Recently, the Texas State Governor, Gre gory Abbott, exhibited de plorable behavior by sending many immigrants to New York and other states on buses. Other Republican gov ernors have since joined him. The ongoing inhumane treat ment of immigrants has made them desperate for legaliza tion while striving to survive and feed their families. These have exposed them to fraudu lent schemes run by criminals who steal from them. In some cases, they are caught and sen tenced to prison. District At torney Alvin Bragg says it is one of the issues his office will be "invested in doing more of in the Manhattan District At

torney's Office."

Immigrants who seek to ad just their immigration status can be at risk of being scammed by companies or in dividuals who provide unau thorized and fraudulent immigration services. Un scrupulous individuals prey on immigrants knowing they are vulnerable and fear com plaining to authorities. The immigrant community is a fragile one. Brian Figeroux of

the Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates who has been prac ticing immigration law for al most 25 years and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA shared the following: "When people come to the office with immigration issues, it's a painful situation. If they have been taken advantage of and defrauded, they've been here for many years, undocu mented, and exploited by their

employers or fellow people from their own community. So, yes, pain is a common thing."

The Immigrant's Journal, founded in 1998, is about to celebrate 25 years of serving the immigrant community. The Journal proudly offers a FREE 5-week Immigration Boot Camp: An Introduction to US Immigration Law to start the celebrations. Over the five weeks, the topics are as follows:

Week 1, Sept 29: A History of US Immigration from 1869 to 2022. Why Congress Cannot Pass Comprehensive Immi gration Reform and Lobbying Techniques Week 2, Oct 6: Paths to Legal ization for Entries in the US With or Without Inspection Week 3, Oct 13: Consequences of Criminal Activities and De

fenses for Deportation Week 4, Oct 20: Immigration Fraud: Consequences and So lutions Week 5, Oct 27: Malpractice or Fraud: Lawyers, Notaries and Form Fillers

There will be special presenta tions from The Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates (Ask theLawyer.us), representatives from the United States Citizen ship & Immigration Services (USCIS), Manhattan and Brooklyn District Attorneys' Offices, and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. The Boot Camp starts on Thursday, Sep tember 29 to October 27, on consecutive Thursdays at 6pm. Sessions are via Zoom. Inter ested persons can register at immigrationseminar.eventbri te.com p

Thursday, Sept 29-Oct 27 from 6pm via Zoom

Old & New Immigrants: Their Rights

Political Pawns/ continued from page 1 are using taxpayer money to ship thousands of migrants to other, Democratic-leaning states and dumping them there.

In recent weeks, these actions have escalated, with allega tions of deception and fraud surrounding Florida’s first mi grant transport. These actions constitute a serious violation of human rights that must end.

On September 14, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two chartered airplanes carrying approximately 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massa chusetts. Most of the migrants were asylum seekers from Venezuela who had entered the United States by way of Texas. A mysterious woman who called herself “Perla” con vinced each person to get onto the flight with false claims of housing and jobs. They arrived at Martha’s Vineyard only to discover that they had been duped.

The very next day, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent two chartered buses with roughly 100 migrants onboard to Washington, DC. Many of

those migrants were also asy lum seekers from Venezuela.

Unlike previous busses, which had dropped people off in front of Union Station where volunteers are assembled to offer assistance, the migrants were sent to Vice President Ka mala Harris’ residence to “punish” her for having the audacity to say she thought the border was “secure.”

These incidents are just the most recent examples of a tac tic being utilized by Republi can governors to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment, fos ter the perception of chaos at the southern border, and put pressure on the Biden admin istration. The idea is to trans port recently arrived migrants in Republican-led states to Democratic-led states, hoping they are not well equipped to respond to a sudden influx of newcomers.

This is little more than a par tisan publicity stunt, which is why the migrants are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements and the states to which the migrants are sent re ceive no advance notice.

Gov. Abbott has been staging these stunts for months, send

ing an estimated 8,000 to 9,000 migrants from Texas to Wash ington, DC, New York, and Chicago. Likewise, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has sent nearly 2,000 migrants to Wash ington, DC in recent months. Using human beings as pawns in this kind of political ploy is unethical under any circum stance. But it is especially egre gious that asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries are being treated so poorly. Under U.S. law, asylum seekers have the right to request protection; they are not “undocumented immigrants.” Ironically, many of the asylum seekers being sent to other states by Gover nors DeSantis, Abbott, and Ducey are trying to escape au thoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba that the governors op pose.

Moving migrants around the country for political purposes is also a needless waste of state government resources. In Texas, for instance, the state has spent more than $12 mil lion paying a charter service to bus migrants to Washington, DC and New York. That

amounts to roughly $1,400 per migrant.

In Texas, a county sheriff has opened a criminal investiga tion into the state-chartered flights that took migrants from San Antonio to Florida and then on to Martha’s Vineyard. The first step in the investiga tion is to determine what laws may have been broken by the false promises which state offi cials made to the migrants.

In Massachusetts, several of the asylum seekers from Venezuela sent to Martha’s Vineyard have filed a lawsuit was against Gov. DeSantis. The suit alleges that individu als working at the direction of the governor’s office commit ted fraud, falsely imprisoned the migrants, deprived them of their constitutional protection against unreasonable seizures, and violated their right to due

process. They are asking a court to stop DeSantis from duping other migrants into similar flights.

It remains to be seen if courts will decide that the governors of Texas, Arizona, and Florida broke the law by expelling asy lum seekers and other mi grants to other states. But it is already quite clear that the ac tions of Governors DeSantis, Abbott, and Ducey are cruel and inhumane.

There is no doubt that receiv ing communities need more support from the federal gov ernment. But communities along the border have been welcoming migrants for gener ations. To address the very real challenges involved, commu nities should be working to gether in a spirit of cooperation, not sabotage. p

Gov Abott. Editorial credit: Carrington Tatum / Shutterstock.com

Gov DeSantis. Editorial credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

What Services Can a Paralegal Provide?

BY THE CHAMBER COALITION

Thelegal profession in cludes many individu als who are not actually lawyers. This, however, does n't mean that they cannot do any legal work. There are plenty of services that can be provided by a paralegal, and these services can make all the difference in your case.

Paralegals can perform sub stantive legal work that has been delegated to them by a lawyer. They often have a mix of work experience, education, and professional training that qualifies them for this job. Below are some of the services that you can request from a paralegal.

Preparation of Documents

Have you ever wondered how a lawyer is able to show up to different court cases on the same day and still have all the documents they need? This is usually because they have a team of paralegals to whom they delegate this work. Indi

viduals in this profession are very good at preparing legal documents. From briefs and contracts to agreements, para legals have the knowledge and experience to get these docu ments ready in a short amount of time.

Providing Legal Information to a General Audience

Paralegals can't offer legal ad vice to someone. However, they can provide legal infor mation to a general audience. There are many individuals around the country who are unaware of their legal rights in various situations. Employees, tenants, and other parties might be forced to endure cer tain conditions simply because they are unaware that the law is on their side.

A paralegal can be brought in to provide some legal infor mation to such an audience so they are more aware of where the law stands when it comes to certain issues or how they can go about getting legal aid if they need it.

Explaining Procedural Issues of Law

Many people who have never been to court before will be surprised at how certain things are handled. You could spend a day getting ready to argue your case only for pro ceedings to be postponed. One reason for this is court proce dures. There are many proce dures that courts are required to follow and paralegals can explain these to you.

Become a paralegal and join the fastest growing industry!

ing. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they assume corporate management roles, leadership roles in law firms, and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal sec retaries to become respected legal team members.

Ready to Take the Leap?

Representing Parties in Ad ministrative Law Hearings

An administrative agency can allow a paralegal to represent you at an administrative hear ing. However, if the case is ap pealed to a court, you'll have to find a lawyer to represent you.

Rising Prestige

As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is ris

A career as a paralegal can be rewarding professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help others; op tions vary, depending on the paralegal's practice area. Para legals in the public interest sec tor help poor and disadvantaged segments of the population with legal issues ranging from protection from domestic abuse to assistance preparing wills. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Call us at 718-722-9217 or visit www.freeparalegal.org to complete your registration which includes payment.p

Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates

Personal Injury Guide: Car Accidents

Addressing Personal Injury from Car Accidents in New York

BY LINDA NWOKE

Across the United States, vehicle accidents are the leading cause of personal injury claims. In a year, an average of 4.5 million people seek med ical treatment for car accidents. These in juries range from minor bruises and scrapes to permanent disability and death. If you or someone in your family has been injured or killed in a car accident in New York City, you should consult with the Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates. We are a law firm well-known for our track record of litigation success in car accident cases. Our experienced personal injury at torneys have won large settlements for vic tims of car injuries.

Numerous examples of settlements on personal injury cases from vehicle acci dent lawsuits exist. For instance, there is a case against the City of New York for fail ing to repair a flooded roadway, which caused the motorist's accident and resulted in brain injuries.

A 35-year-old driver struck by another car that needed surgery filed a case for com pensation for the treatment of injuries to her lumbar spine. Similarly, a 45-year-old passenger in her lane who stopped at a traffic light was hit from the rear. She re quired surgery on her neck and back.

Car accidents are commonplace in New York City, sometimes leading to traffic jams. They are more frequent during the weekday, especially around rush hours— lunchtime and evening commute leading to several crashes. Overall, thousands of vehicle crashes in New York State, with an average of 30 hits per hour around the Em pire state.

Car Accident Statistics by Borough

The statistics of vehicle-rated accidents across the five boroughs in New York City show that Brooklyn (Kings County) and Queens have the highest traffic-related

deaths. Bronx county records slightly higher deaths than New York County. At the same time, Staten Island has the least number and is considered the least danger ous place. Interestingly most hospitaliza tions and death occur among pedestrians, while the vehicle occupants often end up seeking emergency treatment.

Types of Accidents in New York City The frequently seen type of accident in New City is collisions between passenger vehicles. The most occurring factors are violating traffic laws and distracted driv ing. Another common accident in the city is pedestrian accidents, which have been traced to speeding, distracted driving, fail ing to see pedestrians, or yielding to some one in a crosswalk. Car-bicycle collisions are also a significant cause of death in the city. An average of 3,800 bicycle-vehicle crashes in 2019 resulted in injuries or death to bicyclists.

What to Do After a Car Accident

Most vehicle collisions are unexpected and brutal, with most victims feeling con fused in the event's aftermath. Hence, the actions taken afterward can have both fi nancial and health-related repercussions.

Most personal injury cases from car ac cidents in New York are settled out of

court. In contrast, some cases go to trial and are heard by a jury or judge. In cases where the driver was negligent, the victim may receive compensation for their expe rience of pain and suffering. However, many factors considered in passing judg ment include providing irrefutable evi dence that the injury was caused by accident and that the victim suffered a sig nificant loss due to the accident.

Types of Personal Injury Occurring from Car Crash

In general, life for many car accident vic tims is never the same. While the impact can range from mild to severe, victims sometimes must endure long-term medical treatments, including physical and psycho logical therapy. Some of the injuries caused by car accidents include soft tissue and bone injuries and traumatic brain in juries.

Some of these injuries are life-changing because they can take a long time before healing and is beside the unimaginable ef fect these accidents have on the victim's family members. However, the state of New York has laws that address some of the victims of personal injury from car ac cidents.

No-fault' Insurance In New York

The No-fault insurance, also referred to as "Personal Injury Protection" (PIP) insur ance, was approved by the state's lawmak ers in the 70s. Car insurance lowers the cost of auto insurance by settling small claims outside the courts. The insurance companies handle paying the cost of up to $50,000 on behalf of their policyholders to victims. This will cover simple items like minor injuries, lost earnings, and medical bills, irrespective of who caused the accident. However, some conditions can make a person ineligible for a no-fault benefit. They include driving under the in fluence, intentional accidents, committing a felony, getting injured while riding in a stolen vehicle, and having an uninsured vehicle. However, under New York State laws, a legal settlement can still be pur sued over the victim's pain and suffering, injuries, and loss of personal property.

New York's Statute of Limitations

It is worth noting that when an individual sustains a personal injury from an acci dent, there is a three-year gap to file a case before the state of New York. Therefore, when an individual is seriously injured in a vehicle accident, the amount of time they must file a claim after a car accident is up to three years from the date of the ac cident. It is expedient for the injured per son to seek medical treatment soon after the accident and legal advice from a car accident lawyer to review their case.

Factors that Affect a Car Accident Set tlement's Value

There is no uniform agreement or guide line on settling car accident settlements cases. Sometimes out-of-court settlements from accidents can be reached with the at torney. In the case that goes to trial, the jury considers all aspects of damages — economic, non-economic, and punitive,

The Most Common Car Crash Injuries in New York

Various reports from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) shows that car acci dents cause the second-most common in jury among New York residents. Traffic accidents cause more injuries and deaths, leading to a high number of hospitaliza tions and a high number of visits to the emergency department visits. More than 1,900 New York residents die each year from fatal injuries caused by traffic acci dents. Among them are many pedestrians (over 300), drivers and passengers (over 290), motorcyclists (over 100), bicyclists (over 30), and many unspecified persons.

Concerning hospitalizations from traf fic-related injuries, more than 12,000 New Yorkers become patients each year, with the most significant number of driv ers and passengers (6000+) as victims. Many pedestrians (3000+) and motorcy clists (1500+) make up most of the vic tims. More than 136,000 New York State Residents are reportedly treated and re leased from an emergency department each year due to traffic-related injuries, with the occupants making up the highest number of patients.

The Most Prevalent Car Crash Injuries in New York

Accidents have various types and levels of impact on drivers, passengers, and be yond. For vehicle occupants, some of the most common injuries among victims of a car crash in New York are bone-related, internal, and psychological injuries. Ref erencing the data by the National High way Safety Administration (NHSA), some of the frequently occurring injuries are:

Bone Injuries: Neck, Knee, Back, Hip, Wrist, and other forms of broken bones in the body.

Broken Bones: A common, severe, and long-term type of injury sustained from car accidents in New York. It results from the strain against the seatbelt, blunt force trauma, and the crush between the car components and the surrounding environ ment. The arms and legs are often broken as they are least protected during a crash. Whiplash/ Neck injuries: This is another common injury from accidents in New York. Upon impact, the head is forced to bend and thrash around differently, caus ing muscles and ligaments to tear along the neck.

Back or Spine Injuries: The back mus cles are often torn, and victims experience dislocated discs due to the jolt to the body during the crash. This is because the spine experiences severe strain and stress.

Knee Injuries: This is a common injury found among drivers and front-side pas sengers who are slammed into the dash board, glove box, or steering wheel, causing severe injuries to the surrounding bones, ligaments, and the knee's patella.

Hip Injuries: The hip bone gets injured when the victims are hit from the side of the car during a crash, especially in a Tbone or side-swiping accident. Often, the

upper body is thrashed and bends to one side, causing dislocation or ruptured areas of the hip.

Accidents from Head-on Collisions: These accidents also result in hip injuries. In this case, the victim's weight suddenly shifts forward, putting a strain on the lower part of the seat belt across the lap, causing severe hip injuries.

Soft Tissue Injuries: Although not typi cally life-threatening, soft tissue injuries which affect the eyes, mouth, skin, and other soft tissue are among the most painful and long-term injuries obtained from traffic accidents in New York.

Stomach Injuries: The injuries to the stomach are caused by the seatbelt. They are mostly experienced as internal bleed ing in the gut. They are not easily detected because the pain from these can be de layed for an extended period.

Nerve Damage: When the deep tissues are affected by blunt force trauma during an accident, the nerves can be damaged by debris, or exposed components, lead ing to partial or total loss of function in affected areas, either temporarily or per manently.

Chest Pain: Chest pains indicate many injuries following the car crash. The in juries are in the form of panic or heart at tacks, rib cage or abdominal bruises, or more. These pains can also be delayed and arise afterward, depending on the type of injury causing the pain.

Emotional Suffering: Some emotional pain caused by traffic accidents result in anger, depression, and fear. Mood changes indicate traumatic brain trauma injuries from a car accident.

Psychological Trauma: Psychological trauma often occurs among the survivors of car accidents, and it is not related to the accident's severity. Victims often develop post-traumatic stress and other forms of association between driving and pain, fear, and sadness.

What Causes Car Accidents in New York?

Several factors lead to a car accident. However, in New York, car crashes are linked to two significant factors, Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Drowsy Driving.

Driving While Intoxicated Drunk driving is a significant offense among New York drivers, and many acci dents have been attributed to drunk driv ing. In 2018, official data from New York State government reported that over 8,900 casualties were linked to alcohol intake. The amount of alcoholic content in a dri ver's blood impairs the ability to stay alert, focused, and attentive while driving. In New York State, the blood alcohol per centage (BAC) allowed is up to 0.18% while going, which is the equivalent of one drink. Anything above that number attracts a fine of over $1000, a one-year jail sentence, or license revocation in some instances. This is ultimately one of the leading causes of pedestrian injuries in New York.

Drowsy Driving

In 2018, New York State Traffic Safety Statistical Repository (TSSR) reported that over 4,000 drivers fell asleep behind the wheel, especially in late-night crashes. It is considered even more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Some of the ef fects of drowsy driving are impaired de cision-making, slow reactionary time, and lowered attention to other road users. Hence driving becomes a danger to both self and other road users.

Settling Car Accident Injuries in New York

It is common practice for cases relating to a car accident to be settled in New York without trial. Many insurance companies will offer to resolve accident cases quickly. These settlements are much smaller than the amount a victim can re ceive post legal representation and com pensation in court. Some typical settlements determined by courts include car repair costs, medical bills (past and fu ture), lost wages, and time away from work.

However, suppose there is no injury from the collision. In that case, New York Law will not allow the victim to file a lawsuit against another person, even if the victim's car was damaged.

In delayed injuries, the victim can file a lawsuit for delayed damages even if they have passed the standard limit established by the statute of limitations but with a solid legal representation. Different car accidents create higher risks of sustaining specific injuries and can be used to deter mine the person at fault during a collision.

Legal Assistance

Suppose you're being sued after a car ac cident. In that case, you need the services of an effective defense attorney who will help you build a solid chance to prove that you were at minimal fault for the acci dent. In such cases, the experienced Per sonal Injury Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates can also help you prevent the issue from reaching the payout stage. Call us at 855-768-8845 l

ments from accidents can be reached with the attorney. In the case that goes to trial, the jury considers all aspects of damages — economic, non-economic, and puni tive, especially in accidents caused by dis tracted driving and recklessness.

The amount of settlement awarded in New York State is determined by percent age. For instance, it can be agreed that the driver is 80% at fault. At the same time, the other such as occupants, etc., is 20% at fault, otherwise known as pure compar ative negligence. They are determining the cost of medical treatment. All the doc umentation associated with the medical expenses during or after the accident must be considered for claims.

In determining the severity of personal injuries, settlements are largely deter mined by the level of the injury and seri ousness of the damage. A minor damage will receive less money than a permanent, chronic, or severe injury. Furthermore, the jury also reviews other factors during a trial, such as the worth of the other party's insurance, i.e., how much the other party's insurance policy carries. To determine if the person who caused the presenting sit uation that led to the car accident doesn't take high-value insurance coverage. All these require an expert view to help deter mine alternatives to obtaining an insur ance claim or other revenue sources that will enable the defendant to provide a payout.

Therefore, some factors that influence compensation after a car accident are the law of shared fault and negligence, the number of economic damages, the sever ity of injuries, and the auto insurance pol icy limits. Most cases need legal support and expert advice, especially from per sonal injury attorneys.

Legal Assistance

A personal injury attorney specializes in helping victims obtain settlements by pro viding legal assistance and advice after a car crash. The attorneys at the Personal In jury Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates possess a wide range of experience and the expertise needed to advocate for vic tims who have been placed in vulnerable positions from a car accident. Call us at 855-768-8845 or schedule an appointment at www.askthelawyer.us l

Personal Injury from Car Accidents/

The Various Forms of Car Accidents in New York City

In

a recent incident, an older adult traveling in a black Honda CRV around 10:45 a.m. reportedly lost con trol and slammed into another car waiting for the traffic light to turn green, accord ing to witnesses and cops.

The crash caused the driver of the car in front to jolt his knees, and the occupantskids, were quite shaken and traumatized from the crash. Such accidents occur daily around New York City. An average of 620 car accidents occur daily, and over 290 deaths are reported yearly from motor ve hicle traffic-related injuries among vehi cle occupants.

Furthermore, New York records cases of over 6,200 vehicle occupants hospital ized due to motor vehicle traffic-related injuries and over 106,000 vehicle occu pants visiting the emergency department annually due to car traffic-related injuries.

Yet, the frequency of car accidents re mains ignored among New Yorkers, per haps due to the hustling nature of the city. Arguably, the population size of the city, and the amount of congestion, make minor car accidents such as fender ben ders a regular and expected occurrence in daily living. However, the number of crip

pling accidents in the city is quite substan tial and surprising.

Types of Accidents

Based on the number of car accidents in the city, it is essential to clarify the most prevalent types of car accidents found on the city streets to the highways and other New York City roads as follows:

Single-Car Accidents

By description, any accident that causes damage to only one vehicle, even if an other driver causes it. If the crash involves one automobile and no one else's, it is

considered a single-vehicle accident. Common incidents reveal that the driver, with or without passengers, can veer off the road because of one form of impair ment, like being distracted or falling asleep. Sometimes, a single car accident can be because by falling into a pothole, dodging animals on the road, bad weather, or sliding off the road. Besides other cars and objects, the vehicle can also hit bicy clists or pedestrians.

Rear-end Collisions

One of the most prevalent car accidents in NYC is rear-ended collisions which ac

count for over 28 percent of all car acci dents in the United States. It describes car incidents where the front bumper of the car behind collides with the rear end of an other vehicle in its front. The loss of con trol, bad weather conditions, and road defects can result in a crash.

Rear-end collisions have adjudged the fault of the rear vehicle driver, even though the driver in front of the vehicle is at fault for stopping suddenly. The reason is based on the premise that the rear driver is responsible for creating adequate room for safe stopping between them and the car in front in case of an unexpected stop. The good news is that most rear-end col lisions are not fatal because most drivers are not at maximum speed; only a tiny percent is disastrous.

Sideswiping Car Accidents

Side swiping happens when a driver is tired, inattentive, or falls asleep on the steering and hits another vehicle, causing an accident. Sometimes, a driver's blind spot during a lane change can cause them to crash into another car traveling in the same direction. This causes a sideswiping continued on page 4

Various Forms of Car Accidents/ continued from page 3

accident from changing lanes, especially when one driver tries to make a lane change from a blind spot; thus, it is also re ferred to as 'blind spot accidents. In other instances, one of the drivers can join a line without looking carefully. Most sideswip ing accidents are not fatal unless the driv ers are slow to respond or traveling at high speed, which results in damaged vehicles.

Rollovers

Available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that over 15 percent of car fatalities are from rollovers. The majority (80+ per cent) of rollover-related casualties occur in single-vehicle crashes.

Some factors contributing to rollover ac cidents include the location of the car's center of gravity, which depends on design or model. At the same time, others, like the amount of load on the vehicle, height, and environmental factors, can contribute to causing a rollover. Consistent with other car accidents, the chances of a car rolling over increases with speed, driver's impair ment from alcohol, drugs, and distraction.

Side-impact Collisions

Accidents at intersections, parking lots (sometimes), and on a multi-lane roadway are typical, including when a car passes another vehicle on the road. Such acci dents are popularly called T-bone colli sions or broadside collisions. Upon

occurrence, they are fatal and deadly from the severity of injuries — from the location of the impact on the vehicle and the passen gers' seating position. A side impact colli sion occurs when a vehicle crashes at the side of one or more vehicles, where the front of one car strikes the side of another.

In 2016, such accidents caused over 5,500 deaths from single and multi-passenger ve hicle T-bone crashes. Notably, these colli sions are not well managed with child restraints. Several factors, including reck less or careless behavior by any or many motorists, significantly distracted driving, intoxication, speeding, breaking traffic rules, and aggressive driving can lead to such collisions.

They can result in severe injuries, espe cially if the passenger or driver sits on the side of the vehicle where the impact occurs. Secondly, the lack of standardized safety in stallations in different care designs and models also increases the severity. Some ex amples of the injuries are severe concus sion, whiplash — neck injury from the rapid movement of the head, broken bones — hands, fingers, ribs, legs, spinal cord injury, and lacerations.

People riding on the struck side of the car experience severe injuries on their neck, head, chest, legs, and abdomen/pelvis. Car occupants on the car's non-struck side often suffer head and chest injuries. Whiplash and concussions are the most pre vailing injuries caused by side-impact car crashes. Injuries to the limbs and chest re main as common as those sustained in rearend or head-on collisions.

Occupants on the unstruck side of the car often suffer limb and chest injuries from another occupant's collision or the pillar anchoring the seatbelt.

Head-on Collisions

Head-on collisions often occur when two cars driving in opposite directions crash into each other. The NHTSA reports that it accounts for only 2 percent of car crashes. However, despite its rarity, it is hazardous and results in more than 11 percent of driv ing fatalities. They are often devastating for both parties and can result in wrongful deaths or permanent damages. Most in juries that are from head-on collisions are very severe and traumatic. These include spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries

(TBIs). Sometimes victims become per manently impaired or paralyzed, with some sustaining a loss of motor, cognitive ability, or senses.

Some of the causes of head-on collisions have been linked to lack of attention to road signs, flaunting traffic signals, drug impairment, sleepiness, and unintentional lane switching. They can happen because of a mistake, such as driving on the wrong side of the road, drunk driving, distracted driving, or brake failure.

Incidentally, identifying who caused the crash is challenging since the impact may put them in altered positions. Irrespective of the type of car accident, the incident often leaves an indelible effect in the

Children & Car Accidents: Reducing the Risks!

BY CHRIS TOBIAS

Accordingto statistics, car acci dents are among the leading cause of deaths among children in the USA. About 45% of deaths among children are because of car accidents.

What can you do if there is a car accident involving your child? During this difficult time, you need a strong advocate on your side like the attorneys at the Personal In jury Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates.

How can we deal with the greater risks that children face when it comes to car ac cidents? Child victims in car accidents can be placed in two categories. There are those who are passengers and there are those who are pedestrians. It is important to realize that a lack of precautionary measures has been the main reason for child victims of car accidents in both sce narios. Children need keen supervision whenever they are walking along the road, crossing a road or in any other situ ation where they are interacting with traf fic. Further, they need to be looked after when in transit aboard a vehicle and the necessary precautions taken so as to en sure they remain safe under any circum

stances.

For child pedestrians the following meas ures can help reduce the risk of accidents among children.

1.Close supervision of children at all times when near a road.

2.Training of children in road safety and teaching them safe road use.

3.Educating drivers and other road users on “Child safe road use.”

Reducing the risk to child passengers can be done by taking the following steps:

1.Always ensure that the child is safely secured in the vehicle.

2.Discourage risky activities and play while on board a car.

3.Avoid any showmanship and road rage as you drive because this will set a poor example for the children in your vehicle.

4.Train the children on safety while on board a vehicle.

While these measures will not eliminate child victims of car accidents, they will greatly reduce the risk children face while traveling along the roads or when in a car.

What Can You Do?

A personal injury attorney specializes in helping victims obtain settlements by pro viding legal assistance and advice after a car crash. The attorneys at the Personal Injury Law Firm of Figeroux & Associ ates possess a wide range of experience and the expertise needed to advocate for children who have been in car accidents.

Call us at 855-768-8845 or schedule an appointment at www.askthelawyer.usl

minds of those involved. Sometimes, the result has a far-reaching impact far beyond the immediate participants. In some cases, the incident can affect close family mem bers and other dependents.

Legal Assistance

In such cases, the experienced Personal Injury Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates can interpret the laws and make a strong case that will provide some compensation for the victims, or the issue needs to be in volved.

Call us at 855-768-8845 or schedule an appointment at www.askthelawyer.usl

Various Forms of Car Accidents/

Workplace Romance: Four Questions to Ask Yourself Before Dating Someone from the Office

BY CHANTAL GAUTIERE THE CONVERSATION

Inthe digital age, online dating and swiping right are the status quo for ro mance. Practically gone are the days of meeting “the one” in a pub. But what about flirting by the water cooler or over Zoom? The consensual office relationship has been both a romance trope and a taboo for decades.

There are many reasons someone might enter a work place relationship. Research shows that people gravitate to wards like-minded people with common personality traits, backgrounds, belief sys tems and ideas. Proximity and familiarity also influence at traction, something psycholo gists call the mere exposure effect.

For better or for worse, of

fices are a place where likeminded people are in close proximity to each other for many hours, so it’s no surprise that many people are open to love at work. A 2020 YouGov poll found that 18% of Brits met their current or most re cent partner through work.

If you’re thinking about en tering a relationship with your desk neighbor, or even your boss, here are some things to consider.

1. Is it a hierarchical relation ship?

Despite their prevalence, office romances are still frowned upon, and more so after the #MeToo movement. Deciding to enter a hierarchical work place relationship (when one partner is in a higher position at work than the other) is not something to be taken lightly.

Lower-status participants who have coupled up with their boss or senior staff mem ber are sometimes confronted with gossip and career road blocks because of their rela tionship. While some may think entering such a relation ship could help them get ahead in their career, in reality

their relationship status could hinder their progress. Research has found that the lower-status person in a hierarchical work place relationship is less likely to be promoted or recom mended for training opportu nities than their colleagues who are not in such a relation ship.

2. How might it affect your work performance?

With love and sex on the brain, is anyone getting any work done? The general stance is that canoodling is bad for busi ness and affects productivity. Studies have found that feel ings of passion and love, espe cially in the early stages of a relationship, can negatively impact productivity because our minds are elsewhere than the task at hand.

This is particularly challeng ing in a professional environ ment, and when you may have to work alongside your lover. However, there are measures you can take to curb distrac tions. Minimise communica tions that are not of a work-related nature, except when essential, and avoid physical touch like kissing or

Office flirtations are common, but they can be a distraction.

holding hands in the work place.

3. Does your organization allow it?

Courtship and dating are nat ural phenomena, whether or ganisations like it or not. Prohibiting relationships is not the solution, and if anything will only lead relationships un derground.

Despite this, many employ ers (mainly in the US) manage relationships by deploying “love contracts” – written rules and policies which the couple agrees to, confirming that the relationship is consensual and voluntary. This not only de signed to protect the couple, but to protect the employer from being sued for harass ment if the relationship breaks down.

Employees aren’t likely to want to disclose to their direct line of report, HR person or

relevant peers, who they are having sexual relations with. Article 8 of the Human Rights Act protects individuals of their right to private and fam ily life, which might explain why love contracts are not used in the UK.

Employers have to balance their own business interests with their employee’s privacy rights. However, just as there are policies and training for tackling sexual harassment,

discrimination and mental health, there is also a need to address workplace romances. Your employer should have accessible (and reasonable) policies and guidelines about disclosing relationships, partic ularly when they are hierarchi cal.

4. What happens if you split up?

While no one plans for their re lationship to end, things do

happen and it’s best to be pre pared. In a non-workplace re lationship, a break-up might mean your productivity de clines or you need to take a mental health day. But if you work with your now-ex part ner, there are other things to consider, like if you have to in teract or collaborate on a proj ect.

Where relevant, it may be possible to request a transfer to a different team or to work re

motely until the dust settles. Your company may also offer workplace counselling or pro grams designed to support em ployees going through tough times, including depression, grief or the aftermath of a rela tionship.

Ultimately, how employers choose to manage romance at work depends on acknowledg ing that workplace relation ships do happen, and understanding that happier and more satisfied employees tend to be more productive and collaborate better in teams.

It is in employers’ best interests to support their employees’ wellbeing, even (and espe cially) when those employees fall in love.p

Chantal Gautier is a Lecturer, Organisational Psychologist and Clinical Sexologist, School of So cial Sciences, University of West minster.

Read more at 311divorce.com

Workplace Romance/

If you’re dating someone from work, keep physical contact to a minimum in the office.

Go Back-to-School with Affordable Health Insurance

BY FAITH BANKE, IN WITH THE MAYOR’S PUBLIC

Asschool semesters begin, students are ar riving in New York City from all over the United States and the world. Just like I did in January 2020, they’re settling into this bustling city, preparing their textbooks, and organizing their schedules.

I’m here to tell you that there’s one major thing that students shouldn’t miss on their back to school checklist: signing up for health insurance.

It may come as a surprise, but there are so many no cost or low-cost options available for students like me in New York City. I promise there’s an easy (and affordable!) way to sign up–let me prove it to you.

I came to New York to get my Master’s in Public Health

In Nigeria, I had health insur ance through my employer, but when I got to New York, I was a full-time student and as sumed that I’d have to pay whatever health services I needed out of pocket. I hoped and prayed that I wouldn’t get sick, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to afford any expen sive medical bills. I was pre pared to take pain killers and suffer through because I feared that was my only op tion.

Then, I saw a post on Twitter about GetCoveredNYC. It promised free support in sign ing up for free or low-cost health insurance. We were at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was con stantly worried about getting sick. I followed the instruc tions right away, texting “CoveredNYC” to the contact number (877877).

Shortly after, I got a call from

named Gloria. Gloria talked with me for over thirty min utes, asking me questions about my situation, answering my questions, and providing me with lots of information about my options. Health in surance is complicated, and the system in the United States was completely new to me, but Gloria held my hand through out the whole process. Because of the extended open enroll ment period, if someone en rolls in health insurance by the 15th of the month, you’ll be covered starting on the first of the next month, so Gloria made me an enrollment ap pointment with a Certified Ap plication Counselor from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that day. After my appointment, Gloria reached back out to follow up and make sure that I was able to get health insurance. With help from GetCoveredNYC, I

and I ended up with a plan that felt tailor-made for me and most importantly, within my budget.

With health insurance, I have one less thing to worry about and that was a huge help for me as I finished up my studies. In the second year of grad school, I had health issues that had me going from one doctor

it was scary. I didn’t know what was going on and my schoolwork was suffering. But, with the health insurance I had through GetCoveredNYC, I felt very supported, and all my visits, tests, and medications were covered. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I’d had to pay out of pocket for these services. Luckily, I didn’t have to, just because I’d texted 877877.

You can too! Text “Covered NYC” to 877877 (SeguroNYC en Español) to be connected to a Specialist like Gloria for free support.

I’ll end with a note directly to my fellow international stu dents: you may worry that health coverage is not for you, but let my experience prove to you that being an international student is not a stumbling block to getting covered. Health coverage is for every one, regardless of your immi gration status or ability to pay. GetCoveredNYC Specialists can walk you through all the options (for free), just like Glo ria did for me, and help you choose the plan that works best for you.

The GetCoveredNYC team is hard at work, connecting all New Yorkers, especially stu dents at this exciting time of year, to the health coverage they need. You have nothing to lose, reach out now! p

Here’s how to get support from a Specialist: Visit nyc.gov/getcoverednyc Call 311 and say “GetCovered NYC”

Text “CoveredNYC” to 877877 (SeguroNYC en Español)

Faith Banke holds an MPH in Community Health. She cur rently provides community health education to immigrant women in New York City with Sauti-Yetu.

GetCoveredNYC Specialist Gloria Yun, who provided Faith with health insurance support.

Photo courtesy Public Engagement Unit