Catherwood Library

October 2001

PLEASE NOTE: The Reference Question of the Month is kept current only during the month for which it was written. Archived questions will not be updated, and over time may contain inaccurate information or broken web links. We provide archived questions as a service, since much of the information will remain accurate and of continued interest to the ILR community.

Question: Helpful information following the September 11 attacks

Answer: In the wake of the attacks on people at work in airplanes, at the World Trade Center, and at the Pentagon, many government bodies, organizations, publishers, and employers have provided useful information via the Internet. This month, we are listing some of the most informative of these sites for researchers in ILR.

Resources listed by:

Government - Labor Unions - Employers - Other

Government Information and Assistance

Assistance is available to affected employers and workers from government agencies at several levels. The links below provide good starting points for questions about rights, obligations, and relief initiatives.

• New York City Emergency Information
• Washington, D,C. Emergency Preparedness Guide
• Office of Personnel Management Post-Disaster Guidance and Other Information for Human Resource Professionals
• United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  • OSHA Response to World Trade Center Disaster...
  • Facts about Anthrax
• New York State Department of Labor, Emergency Response to the World Trade Center Disaster

Affected Unions and Employee Associations

Many labor unions who suffered losses on or as a result of September 11 have dedicated parts of their web sites to the tragedy. The information that can be found on these sites includes worker memorials, benefit information, opportunities for charitable contribution, and union response to the aftermath of the September 11 tragedies.

• AFL-CIO Working Families Mourn, Honor and Rebuild News About the Workers
• Air Line Pilots Association
• American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
• American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
• American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO
• Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO
• Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO
• Civil Service Employees Association (Local 1000, AFSME, AFL-CIO)
• Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC
• Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees, International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
• International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, CLC
• International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO, CLC
• International Union of Operating Engineers
• International Union of Police Associations
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
• New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association
• Office and Professional Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
• Public Employees Federation
• Service Employees International Union
• Transport Workers Union, AFL-CIO
  • Local 100 of Greater New York
• Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting, Sprinklerfitting Industry of the United States and Canada
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America

Affected Employers

Many employers also suffered devastation as a result of the September 11 attacks. Company and employer pages provide worker memorials, giving opportunities, and benefit information. Recovery plans, relocation information, and contacts are also outlined.

• World Trade Center
  • World Trade Center Towers Emergency Contacts
  • World Trade Center Firms Business/Commerce Contact Information
  • The Washington Post has provided these lists of World Trade Center businesses. Contact information and web sites when available are also listed.
• Pentagon
  • United States Department of Defense
  • United States Army
  • United States Navy
• Airlines
  • American Airlines Corporate Page
  • United Airlines Company Page
• New York City
  • New York Police Department
  • Fire Department of New York
  • Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Other Resources

The Society for Human Resource Professionals quickly made available on its web site a packet containing guidelines for HR practitioners in response to the September 11 tragedies. Included are several "White Papers" on handling disasters and other critical incidents at work. Legal obligations for employers, information about religious diversity, anthrax information, as well as subject related polls and surveys make this site very valuable to the human resource student or professional. See HR Responds to Terrorism.

BNA - Employers Respond to Disaster BNA, an important law and human resources publisher, has also provided a packet of materials geared for employers. In addition to legal pointers, health and safety issues, and recovery information, Employers Respond to Disaster contains company best practices in response to the disaster.

Workforce: Dealing with Crisis Workforce magazine has made available articles that should be useful. They are organized under the terms bereavement, bioterrorism, discrimination, emergency planning and recovery, employee assistance, layoffs and downsizing, and military reserve issues.

BLR's Crisis and Continuity Web Center  BLR (Business and Legal Reports) has compiled a comprehensive site for assistance to businesses.

Workindex.com, an Internet resource published by LRP publications, has "September 11 Coverage," a compilation of articles from various LRP publications.

Workplace Issues Today, a news service of the Catherwood Library, has provided summaries of many news stories concerning September 11, its aftermath, and the implications for the world of work. The summaries are of a cross section of stories from Online news sources. "WIT" will continue to provide the latest news on this disaster.

The employees of the Catherwood Library extend our sympathy to all who suffer losses as a result of the attacks.

— Researched by Susan LaCette