New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech and New Jersey State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Laurel Brennan send us this update on Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. 

The UAW in Atlantic City has thousands of members who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. In addition to sustaining major property losses, our brothers and sisters have had their hours cut because of the devastation to the casino industry. The critical message to our members is that they are not in this alone. Various recovery resources are available, and we will do everything to get them the help they need as soon as possible.

Aspiring citizens in New York City are not going anywhere after Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of the region. They are pitching in to help rebuild what was lost. Latino workers and day laborers organized themselves with assistance from El Centro del Inmigrante, which advocates for the economic advancement and well-being of immigrant workers and their families, to form the the Staten Island Day Laborer Hurricane Relief Brigade and other cleanup volunteer groups. Day laborers have volunteered to clean up New York City neighborhoods, including restaurants affected in Coney Island.

While the election and other stories have taken Superstorm Sandy out of the headlines, millions of Americans who were in the storm's path are still in need of assistance. Don't let the the short attention span of the news cycle delay necessary aid to those whose lives have been permanently altered.

Thousands of Fire Fighters (IAFF) who were on the front lines in the response to Superstorm Sandy lost their own homes and personal lives while working hard to save the lives and homes of others. Many of them are now struggling and need direct financial assistance immediately. Despite the help they are receiving from family, friends and their fellow IAFF members, they need more help in starting their lives over.

Thousands of AFT members immediately volunteered in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy to help the affected communities in any way they can. AFT represents about 365,000 workers in the area damaged by the storm, and many members who felt Sandy's impact still jumped in to help out others in need.

UNITE HERE Local 54 casino workers in Atlantic City, N.J., are pitching in to help their members and the local community impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Local 54 has started a Helping Hands Relief Center to provide the public with information and help to apply for services. Local 54 President Bob McDevitt told the Press of Atlantic City newspaper:

There is an incredible need in the community....We felt we should coordinate this. As far as organizations go, we connect to most of the people.

An unknown number of workers who are helping with the recovery after Superstorm Sandy may have difficulty casting their votes today because they are away from their home states. New Hampshire elections officials are doing what they can, as required by state law, to help make sure those workers can cast their ballots.

If you live in an area of New York state that was hit by Hurricane Sandy last week and need information about voting tomorrow—if your regular polling place will be open, if it’s been moved, what hours it will be open—visit the New York State AFL-CIO’s special voting update website.   

You will find links to your county’s Board of Elections and other agencies, plus information on last-minute get out the vote volunteer opportunities.

Charles Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, and Laurel Brennan, secretary-treasurer of New Jersey State AFL-CIO, send us this. 

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is working diligently with election officials to ensure that first responders and our fellow New Jerseyans displaced by Hurricane Sandy can vote in this election. The destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy exceeded what any of us could have imagined, but we are determined to rebuild, restore and move forward. With Election Day tomorrow, one of our first challenges is to make sure our democratic process proceeds unimpeded. We will continue to provide updates on available voting options and currently recommend the following voting methods to displaced New Jerseyans and first responders to protect your right to vote this Election Day:

Check out the AFL-CIO's new In Our Communities website feature, "Recovering After Superstorm Sandy."

The recovery from Superstorm Sandy could be one of the most expensive in American history, with estimates climbingtoward the $50 billion mark in property damage alone. As Americans all across the country pitch in, most of the work repairing and rebuilding the storm-ravaged areas will be done by talented and hardworking union members. Many of the organizations dealing with Sandy’s devastation emphasize the importance of union workers’ expertise and skill, as well as of sufficient government financial support for rebuilding physical structures and roads and, in many cases, people's lives. Here is what our members have been doing to help with the recovery: