PBA Bucks Other Unions In Opposing Zadroga Bill

PATRICK J. BAHNKEN: Pass it, then improve it.

As the eighth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks approaches, a coalition of uniformed unions continues to push for permanent Federal aid for ill and injured responders, with the increasingly intense exception of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

While the city labor movement has made the James Zadroga Act, a bill that would provide permanent medical monitoring and treatment to 9/11 responders, a legislative priority with the support of uniformed unions, the PBA has criticized the measure, calling it a "shame" and claiming that it "will actually do little or nothing for the police officers that we call the forgotten victims."

'Doesn't Cover Cancer'

A recent article in the PBA's magazine said that the bill "has many flaws, the most serious being its failure to include cancer and blood disorders as qualifying medical conditions entitling the victim to treatment and compensation."

It continued that another problem is the high threshold of proof a responder would have to meet in order to show that his or her ailment was 9/11-related. The PBA argued that in some cases it would be impossible for its members to get access to health care under the act.

JOHN J. McDONNELL: Mystified by PBA's opposition.

A recent study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that out of 28,252 9/11 responders who were tested, eight had multiple myeloma. That is the expected number; however, four of those people were under the age of 45, a statistical abnormality. The study concluded that the findings were not enough to prove that there is a link between their illnesses and exposure at the site, which aroused frustration among some ill responders and 9/11 advocates.

Want Flaws Addressed Later

Other than the Uniformed Firefighters Association, few unions have engaged in talks with the PBA on the issue, although many labor leaders rejected its stance while noting that the bill in its current form may, indeed, be flawed.

"You can't eat an elephant in one bite," said Patrick J. Bahnken, who as president of Local 2507 of District Council 37 represents Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians. "We believe that the bill should do more; however, our position is we have to start somewhere."

Other uniformed groups, including the other police unions and those in the Fire Department, support the bill in its current form.

'PBA Stance Confuses Us'

"We don't really share their concerns, we don't understand them, we're confused as to why they're pushing so hard and not allowing the bill to go forward in its current form," said departing Uniformed Fire Officers Association President John J. McDonnell.

He agreed with Mr. Bahnken that it was more important for unions to get the bill passed and fix the nuances later, saying that if medical documentation is unearthed in the future, governments will be able to address those concerns using its framework.

"If some rare form of cancer can be directly attributed to the Trade Center, then we can go ahead and treat it as necessary," Mr. McDonnell said. "Let's get our foot in the door and get this passed. We've already had enough difficulty with the Federal Government, so let's get this done."

The Zadroga Act, while enjoying support from the metropolitan area's congressional delegation and labor community, has had a difficult history. Last year, Local 3621 of DC 37, which represents Emergency Medical Service officers, opposed the bill because of a provision that would compel FDNY members and retirees to utilize a department-based treatment and monitoring program, which then-President Tom Eppinger said impinged on his members' freedom. Mr. Eppinger lost a re-election run this year, and his successor, Vincent Variale, has said he is more amenable to the bill as written.

In October, Mayor Bloomberg pulled his support because the city was not given oversight over the payments to 9/11 health programs. The city's share of the cost was supposed to be $500 million, but Mr. Bloomberg said that the lack of controls could have raised its tab by $350 million. The bill was moving forward in the U.S. House of Representatives, but was tabled when Congress turned its attention to the economic crisis.

Marvin Bethea, a former privatehospital paramedic and the president of the 9/11 advocacy group Unsung Heroes Helping Heroes, concurred with the UFOA and Local 2507.

"Each group has different needs according to their pension system; the bill may have to be tweaked in certain areas," he said of the PBA's opposition. "But we should give people some kind of compensation and health care."