Building Trades for Workers Democracy Comes to the Aid of Bronx Fire Victims

This article was originally published on LaborPress on January 27, 2022.

by John Caroll

Building trades workers gathering by Monroe College to receive the donations for the fire victims on a very frigid morning. 

On Sunday morning, January 9, there was a massive fire in a Bronx apartment building that killed 17 people, injured dozens and put a total of 118 families — over 1200 people — out of their homes.

In response, Building Trades for Workers Democracy [BTWD], a rank-and-file collective of building trades activists, mobilized to organize New York City construction workers to help the fire victims. Christine Culpepper-Ruiz, from Local 79, and Danny Monge, from Local 638, led this volunteer effort and asked me to be the liaison person for Local 3 and its various clubs.

On a cold Tuesday morning, just two days after the fire, we met with various groups including South Bronx Mutual Aid and  the Gambian Youth Organization [GYO]. Also present was a representative for the non-for-profit organization G.E.M [an initiative of billionaire Bethenny Frankle] and a representative from State Senator Alessandra Biaggi’s office.

There, BTWD helped formulate a plan to help these residents. G.E.M. would provide a tractor-trailer full of 30 pallets of donations and we would provide the manpower to unload it. For this, BTWD reached out to our networks among the building trade unions, and they graciously responded.

I reached out to Local 3 members Chris Donato, and Anthony Mercado, respectively president and vice-president of the Bronx Acorn Club. They, in turn, reached out to Bronx Acorn Club and Santiago Iglesias Educational Society members. In doing so, our local had 10 members there. It was great!

Christine reached out to the members of LIUNA Local 79 and Local 78 and IUPAT DC 9 — the latter of which had a great turnout. In all, we had members from six local unions present: LIUNA Local 79 and Local 78, IBEW Local 3, IUPAT DC 9, Steamfitters Local 638, and Sheet Metal Workers Local 28, standing in solidarity with the families on a very frigid Wednesday morning at the drop-off location, Monroe College on Jerome Avenue.

But the cold would turn out to be the least of our adversities. With over 50 union members waiting, word came in that the tractor-trailer carrying the supplies was stuck under the elevated 4 train line on Jerome Ave — about five blocks from our location. It was here that the building trades unions quickly organized members, cars, vans and material. Moving equipment to unload the truck to bring everything into the building, so that it would be there for the survivors of the tragedy. Once again, the determination, professionalism and wherewithal of the building trades unions would shine through and turn, what could have been a disappointment and a disaster, into a positive. Needless to say, the non-for-profit G.E.M, and Senator Alessandra Biaggi were both so appreciative and thankful for the help from Local 3 and the other building trades unions.

This is not be the first time BTWD has mobilized the rank-and-file of the building trades using their vast union affiliations, political, and community contacts. In Elmhurst, Queens, BTWD reached out to State Senator Jessica Ramos after the terrible rain storm in early September. Along with lead organizers Freddy Bastone, Tafadar Sourov [Local 79], Percy Lujan [Local 78] and Local 3’s very own Megan Finn, the group would get down and dirty emptying flooded homes, carrying out debris, tearing down flood impacted walls and sheetrock, and disconnecting electrical panels.

Truck got stuck under an underpass in Jerome Avenue, but that did not stop the volunteers from getting help to these families. 

In addition to these relief efforts, BTWD has led other initiatives such as supporting the Teamsters’s Strike at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx in January 2020, and a rally for the Pro Act in front of US Senator Charles Shumer’s office on Park Avenue on May Day, as well as supporting progressive pro-union candidates in the city council primaries.

BTWD is made of rank-and-file activists with a passion for the labor movement. We union members need to be “the good guys,” and by doing the right thing, setting a good example, we can turn into an asset for our community. We don’t consider what we are doing charity — it is work born out of a desire to serve other working class people. The leadership and the membership need to be cognizant of this and embrace this rank-and-file initiative as a plus for the union movement.

John Carroll is an IBEW Local 3 electrician and member of Building Trades for Workers Democracy.