USA: New York workers call upon insurance companies to pay the 9/11 claims, crucial in rebuilding the World Trade Center site

Record ID: 451653

  • Title: USA: New York workers call upon insurance companies to pay the 9/11 claims, crucial in rebuilding the World Trade Center site
  • Date: 18th October 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN MALONEY ADDRESSING THE WORKERS, SAYING: "Also important is going forward, rebuilding our city and getting the jobs out there, the shovel into the ground and the towers built. So, Allianz must settle so we can move forward and rebuild our great city. Build it now." VARIOUS OF WORKERS CHANTING, "BUILD IT NOW" VARIOUS OF NEW YORK STATE SENATOR MARTIN GOLDEN ADDRESSING WORKERS
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA41G155J9W14S7NQULJJ1V5XXJ
  • Story Text: New York City workers gathered outside the German Consulate on Tuesday (October 17, 2006) to protest against two insurance companies that have been accused of delaying paying claims arising from the 9/11 attack.
    The demonstrators, about 75 in all, want German-based insurance company Allianz, as well as Royal insurance company of England to pay insurance money they say is due after the destruction of the World Trade Center.
    U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said that "Allianz must settle so we can move forward and rebuild our great city," while workers chanted, "Build it now", referring to the World Trade Center site and the Freedom Tower.
    New York state senator Martin Golden said that the time for the insurance companies to settle had come.
    "We have freedom towers, seven is already built, we have other buildings being built, but the largest portion of this is being held up. We have eight companies - insurance companies here, seven of those companies have agreed, two have not. This Allianz is the largest of the two - the other company is Royal from the United Kingdom. There is no reason for these companies to hold up and to stall any longer. They've already taken this loss, they've booked the loss and they have been paid by re-insurance companies for a large portion of this. Give us the part that you've been paid for. If there's a discrepancy, fight the discrepancy, but give us the money that you've already been paid for. So, that we can continue this process, don't stall this process any longer, let's get this job completed, let's get it built," said Golden.
    Workers who took part in the rally said they thought it was important to raise their voice in an effort to speed up the rebuilding effort at the World Trade Center.
    Joe Nolan, an iron worker who took part in the rally said that 9/11 was a major blow to them and that it was important to rebuild quickly.
    "It was a major blow to us. I lost all the iron workers in our local that worked at Ground Zero in the recovery effort immediately afterwards, and we want to rebuild it. It's time we rebuild it, it's been over five years and we want to put our members to work," said Nolan.
    Patrick Whalen, another worker who took part in the rally feels that the reconstruction effort will help in increasing the number of construction work jobs in the World Trade Center site, something that Whalen says is sorely needed.
    "This is just a very important issue to come up, there's actually many lives lost down there. It's very important to rebuild down there , work wise and just actually to keep the city going," said Whalen.
    In early October, two other insurance companies reached a deal with The Port Authority, which owns the World Trade Center, paving the way for them to pay claims stemming from the September 11 attacks.
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