The thousands who were killed, injured or are missing in the attack on the World Trade Center include many working people, in many unions affiliated with the Central Labor Council. That alone calls for the Institute, as an academic-labor collaboration, to have a voice in how New York will respond to this tragedy. There will be many dimensions to this response:
 
Basic Economic Security — The loss of thousands of jobs has deprived thousands of workers and their families of basic economic security.  We must insist that they be made whole, not just for weeks or months but for as long as they lack the necessities of life.  Help from government should be prompt, generous, and readily accessible. For the large numbers of union members who have lost their jobs, one-stop centers should be brought into union halls to make it as easy as possible for them to receive income, health care, housing, and help in finding new jobs.
 
Using Federal Funds — Government is already providing massive financial support to industries that have been affected.  A significant share of those funds should go to replace the lost jobs and incomes of ordinary workers. We are especially concerned about those jobs that may never come back – those held by members of UNITE who manufacture clothing; members of Local 32B-J who cleaned the buildings that no longer exist; members of Actors Equity and IATSE hurt by the closing of Broadway shows and loss of tourism; members of Local 100 of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers who prepare and serve the food in shops that may never reopen.
 
Job Creation — A generous program of direct job creation funded by the federal and state governments should put people to work repairing the enormous damage we have suffered and replacing lost City tax dollars that support teachers in the classroom, attendants for the home-bound elderly, health care in the city’s clinics, and a host of other needs that will help heal the wounds and renew a better quality of life for our people.
 
Reconstruction — Rebuilding the lost structures must be done thoughtfully and with full participation of organized labor.  The very best talent should be enlisted to plan how best to reconstruct the economy of lower Manhattan. Bringing the financial sector back to life is important, but it is not all that is needed. A city facing critical shortages of affordable housing, antiquated schools, and an aging infrastructure can put to work the resources that a generous nation will provide to make New York City once again the embodiment of progress, social justice, and opportunity for all who seek it. What we do now, and how we do it, will long resonate in our nation and around the world. 
 
This article is the product of a discussion between the 5BI Executive Committee and Central Labor Council President Brian McLaughlin.

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