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UFT helps Bronx teacher through medical crisis
June 16, 2004 Bronx teacher Len Berkowitz and Kitty Williston of the UFT. After elementary teacher Len Berkowitz contracted cellulitis, he applied for medical leave. But the Bronx teacher kept running into bureaucratic brick walls. A tracheotomy, which limited his ability to talk, made busting through those walls even more difficult. Finally, Berkowitz turned to his union, the United Federation of Teachers, to help him get the leave he needed and was entitled to. Cellulitis is an infection caused by the streptococcus bacteria that becomes poisonous once it gets into the bloodstream. For Berkowitz, it multiplied complications: respiratory failure, pneumonia, congestive heart failure and a loss of speech. "My voice would play tricks on me," said Berkowitz, a teacher for 32 years. "Some days it was good and I was able to talk for a while … there were times I could speak at 9 and by noon I couldn't … (but) some days I just had nothing." He had surgery to reconstruct his larynx and wore a trachea tube. But even with the trachea tube, he had difficulty speaking. Although he had first applied for medical leave in May 2003, it wasn't until September that he learned that his application had never been received. Berkowitz reapplied, but problems mounted. "We were trying to get things done and couldn't," his wife Cheryl said. "Dates were wrong, but no one told us ... Things did get lost and then they wanted to see what I had submitted because they said they had never received it." On his behalf, his colleagues at PS 24 in Riverdale "were making phone calls, following up on information," Berkowitz said. He was particularly grateful to Mark Levine, his principal, for sticking with him. By October, Berkowitz had been removed from payroll and his union benefits discontinued. That's when he called the the UFT's Health and Cancer HelpLine. Intervention "Kitty intervened and got us reinstated," Cheryl Berkowitz said. Kitty Williston, a certified social worker who works at the UFT, said she has an advantage because of her knowledge of the system. She was able to connect Berkowitz with the right people. That's how the HelpLine serves its membership, Williston explained, by offering information and community resources on health and social issues. "She took the initiative, returned my phone calls and gave me a sense of hope," Berkowitz said. "I can't sing her praises high enough." "He persevered when others might have given up," Williston said. "It's remarkable how members, despite real serious illnesses … manage to show courage." The road to recovery stretches on for Berkowitz, but progress is evident. The trachea tube has been removed, and his speech is improving with each passing day. His medical leave has finally been approved. Now, Berkowitz is optimistic about a return to the classroom. He advised new teachers to understand the crucial role of the UFT. "I would have been up the proverbial creek without a paddle if it wasn't for the union," he said. The United Federation of Teachers HelpLine is (212) 420-9640. - Dee Johnson
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