WORKERS’ VOICES / WORKERS’ STORIES

Injured Workers Tell Their Stories

When workers get hurt or sick at work, they are thrust into series of challenges that include not only coping with their immediate symptoms, but they must also endure financial hardships, threats to mental health, family issues and sometimes even additional health complications especially when Workers’ Compensation bureaucracy is slow or present complex challenges. The publication is the result of over two years’ collaboration between injured workers and clinic staff.

Workers involved in developing the publication shared their individual stories including details about how they have had to carry on with degrading fights with the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board in order to address both physical and mental health challenges. These injured workers emphasize their commitment to sharing their experiences as an ongoing project.

“We want to raise awareness about and, ultimately, to improve how Workers’ Compensation functions in New York State. We do not want people to have to continue to go through what we have experienced just to obtain the right kind of medical care and appropriate benefits.”

Local workers, union leaders, elected officials, faith leaders, and university representatives will gather at the Occupational Health Clinical Center to celebrate the workers who have courageously shared their experiences as injured workers in an effort to fight for safer working conditions and prevent occupational injury and illness.

CONTACT:
Rick Sprout                         
Occupational Health Clinical Center
Binghamton
(607) 238-6892
sproutr@upstate.edu

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