When Juan Lopez and Juan Lizama went to wash windows on the new One World Trade Center last Wednesday, neither of them thought the day would end with them on local and national news.
Lizama and Lopez, both members of 32BJ, had to be rescued from the 68th floor by members of the FDNY after a malfunction left them stranded on scaffolding hanging about 827 feet in the air.
“Our training kicked in immediately,” said Lizama, a 14-year window cleaner in a statement. “We were scared for a few minutes, but once we had stabilized ourselves, we knew we would be OK and someone would come to rescue us.”
Lizama is 41 years old and lives in New Jersey with his wife and children. Lopez is 33 years old and lives with his partner and children in the Bronx. Although the job can be dangerous, windows cleaners in New York City have some of the most stringent safety laws in the country, and window cleaners who are union members usually make more than $26 an hour with benefits and steady work.
“The safety of our members is of paramount importance for our union,” said Hector Figueroa, president of 32BJ, in a statement. “That is why we make sure that a rigorous safety protocol is followed on the job and that workers are offered the training they need to be safe every day and in the event of an accident. We also can’t forget to thank the FDNY, the EMTs and everyone who was involved in their rescue.”
“We are happy and relieved that our members Juan Lizama and Juan Lopez are safe and will be going home to their families tonight,” continued Figueroa. “We thank the FDNY and everyone who was involved in their rescue.”