Georgia Power, one of the largest utilities companies in the South, took out a full-page ad in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution honoring the contribution of Electrical Workers (IBEW) who jumped into action and helped out during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  The rare instance of a corporation lauding union members in a major press outlet was a reaction to a resolution honoring the members of IBEW Local 84 that the state legislature passed at the request of the Georgia AFL-CIO.

As soon as the Hurricane Sandy relief bill that the U.S. Senate passed Monday night lands on President Obama’s desk, he says he will sign it. But he notes that legislation to help families and communities recover from the devastating November hurricane is long overdue.

For the families working to put their lives back together, every day without relief is one day too many.

The U.S. House on Tuesday night finally passed the major Hurricane Sandy relief bill to help hundreds of thousands of East Coast families and communities recover and rebuild from the massive November storm. But House Speaker John Boehner’s (R) nearly monthlong delay in holding the vote continues to stall the much-needed help as the out-of-session Senate will not be able to vote on the bill until next week.

President Obama this weekend signed the patchwork aid bill that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) put before the new Congress only after he was eviscerated by members of his own party and Hurricane Sandy victims for blocking a comprehensive hurricane relief package on the last day of the 112th Congress.

While John Boehner and his allies in the U.S. House of Representatives play politics with aid to families whose lives were shattered by Superstorm Sandy, numerous unions have stepped up to provide money and supplies to those in need. Here are a few examples of how unions are helping families recover from the storm's devastation.

Yesterday, we told you House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) broke his promise to hold a vote on a desperately needed relief package for the victims and communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy more than two months after the storm. After a massive and angry outcry—especially from members of his own party who called his vote squelching a “cruel stab in the back”—Boehner announced he would bring a hurricane aid bill to the floor Friday.

But that patchwork package falls far short of the help Sandy’s victims need.

The hundreds of thousands of East Coast residents—especially in New York and New Jersey—who continue to feel the sting of Hurricane Sandy more than two months after the storm, now are "feeling the sting of a House Republican slap to the face after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) backed out of a promise to vote on an emergency aid package for hurricane victims," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) called Boehner’s decision to cancel the vote “a cruel knife in the back.”

Sign the New York State AFL-CIO petition to pass Hurricane Sandy relief.

The New York State AFL-CIO thanked the U.S. Senate today for approving $60.4 billion in relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy and urged the House to pass the measure as well.

President Obama sent a request to Congress asking for $60.4 billion to fund Hurricane Sandy storm recovery efforts. The request is expected to be introduced in legislation next week and will be debated after that.

Hurricane Sandy survivors can find lots of information about filing insurance claims at the websites of these non-profit organizations:  United Policyholders and Consumer Federation of America.

Here are some things they recommend to keep in mind when filing a claim.