When I was injured on the job and sustained injuries that required surgery, the Workers’ Compensation system proved impossible to navigate without the help of my union.
On Sept. 9, 2016, just before dismissal on the second day of the school year, immediately after putting my one-on-one student on the bus, I headed back to my classroom to see if I could be of any help for a few more minutes. On the way there, I slipped in a pool of water on the floor outside the boys’ bathroom, which had been flooded. The bright lights and white floor obscured my ability to see the flooded hallway.
I slipped and flew about four feet into the air, landed on my right side and hit my head. I went to the hospital for evaluation. I followed up with an orthopedic surgeon due to increasing pain. An MRI revealed the following injuries on my right side: a torn rotator cuff, a torn bicep and a frayed labrum. An X-ray revealed that I had also cracked my clavicle. I started physical therapy and waited for approval for surgery.
It took until the end of April for Workers’ Comp to approve the surgery, which I underwent on July 28, 2017. Throughout this whole ordeal, my union stood fast behind me every step of the way, instructing me in proper protocols and encouraging me to push through and not give up as I navigated the incomprehensible and frustrating Workers’ Compensation process. Several representatives from the UFT were my guides through this process, but one person in particular never left me to fend for myself. She could have just told me who I needed to call or where I needed to go, but she walked with me step by step through the process.
I’m glad to say I’m feeling well now and finally fit to return to work. I have been a paraprofessional for 20 years and have always believed in our union but after this experience, only now do I fully understand the meaning behind being ‘Union Strong.’ My commitment to the union is deeper than ever.
Amelia Lindauer is a paraprofessional at PS 42 on Staten Island.
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