This month, hundreds of union and community activists gathered nearby the FDR Drive in New York City to call for immediate and extensive infrastructure repairs to the overpass. The IUPAT representatives and local residents are concerned about their safety from being exposed to falling pieces of lead paint from the overpass.
“This is a public safety issue,” said Davon Lomax, political director of District Council 9 of IUPAT. He explained that fallen paint chips pose a hazard for inhalation or ingestion, particularly for children who might touch the paint chips and ingest paint dust.
“Neighborhood folks are biking, eating, and hanging out around here, and we have lead paint literally falling down,” State Assembly candidate Yuh-Line Niou noted. “We need to make sure the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the places we are playing, working, and living are safe.”
Infrastructure investment is a top priority for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and we have the best trained and skilled workforce to get the job done.