NYC/Long Island

1199 has endorsed an initiative to issue “Green Apple Bonds” that would pay for the removal of toxic chemicals from New York City schools and could possibly be used in the future to make our healthcare facilities more energy efficient.

“As the largest union of health-care workers in New York and the nation, we strongly support the Green Apple Bonds initiative, which will help protect the health of our City’s kids at almost 800 schools,” Said 1199SEIU President George Gresham. “We simply cannot have our children exposed to toxic PCB’s that have been linked to cancer and learning disabilities. Moreover, many of our members treated victims of Hurricane Sandy and were victims themselves, losing power and even their homes. This initiative will greatly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and any effort to slow climate change is worthwhile. Green Apple Bonds will also create 3,000 jobs and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Moving forward, we’re excited by the possibilities that Green Apple Bonds present for our City’s health-care infrastructure, and making sure hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics are environmentally safe for patients, as well as more cost efficient.”