Tsunami Hits Home — In New York
BUFFALO
Vijayashanthar Patpanathan, a direct care aide here, lost 27 relatives in the December tsunami. His loss led Buffalo-area members of Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000 to help him raise funds for survivors. A native of Sri Lanka, he has lived in the United States for 20 years, but he remained in close contact with his cousins and their children, all of whom died.
Patpanathan recommended donating to the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization, a group he has supported since the country's civil war. CSEA's Local 425 has raised hundreds of dollars to help.
"Unions are here to help employees in this country," he says. "Now CSEA is helping people on the other side of the world."
SURVIVORS. Another CSEA member experienced the water's rage firsthand. Electrician and Unit Pres. Scott Weatherby and his wife, vacationing in Thailand, had just finished breakfast on the first morning at their resort when the water surged. He ended up in the resort's swimming pool a block away. She was slammed into a concrete wall and pummeled by tables and chairs. The couple is grateful to have survived the devastation with only broken bones, lacerations and contusions.
AFSCME IN ACTION. In Honolulu, members of Local 928 at the East-West Center worked to help raise $250,000 for tsunami relief. Most of the money came from the sales of Asian handicrafts, art and artifacts, and from a public performance featuring Asian dance and music. "We are hoping that our donation can make a difference for people in great need," says Local 928 Pres. Phil Estermann.
When CSEA learned that WNYT-TV wanted help with its 13-hour tsunami telethon, the union made its Albany phone center available to the station. Officers, members and staff also answered the phones. More than $101,000 was pledged to the American Red Cross. CSEA member Christiane Kronau was touched by the callers' comments — including a woman who sent in the $1,000 she had saved for home repairs. "At least I have a home," she told Kronau.
In Washington, D.C., AFSCME International donated $10,000 to aid tsunami victims. Affiliates and members are encouraged to contribute to relief efforts through the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center. Send checks, made out to the Solidarity Center Education Fund, 1925 K St., N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20006-1105. Learn more at Solidarity Center.
