Union Mourns Conductor Jimmy Willis, 59, WTC Responder and Special Assistant to the President

Jimmy Willis campaigning on the morning of 9/11
Jimmy Willis campaigning on the morning of 9/11

The Local 100 union family is mourning the untimely death of retired Conductor Jimmy Willis, who may be the first transit worker to suffer a service-related death resulting from the World Trade Center disaster. His wife of 15 years, Christy, reported that Jimmy had a fatal heart attack on Tuesday, June 24th. She posted on Facebook: “He was the most wonderful man and my soul mate. I am kinda lost at the moment but I am so thankful for my daughters who are helping me manage.” TWU Director of the Training and Upgrading Fund Hector Ramirez, who worked closely with Willis in the aftermath of the WTC disaster, called him “passionate, relentless, always working for the members.”

Jimmy had 18 years of service to New York City Transit when he retired. He was a former President of the NYC Transit Emerald Society and also served as the union’s coordinator for heritage events.

His greatest contribution to Local 100 came after the WTC attack. He had spent the morning of September 11th in Astoria, campaigning with the union’s political action team for City Council candidate Arthur Cheliotes. The next day, he headed to Ground Zero to render whatever help he could and to help in the search for his cousins, Firefighter Michael Roberts of Ladder 35, and FDNY Chief of the Special Operations Command, Ray Downey. He later told the Local 100 Express: “I had hope on Wednesday night, but when I went back Friday, it looked like the gates of hell, like Dresden or Hiroshima, and I thought, I’m not going to see my cousins again.”

Jimmy was an implacable fighter with management on safety issues. The WTC disaster energized his activism and revealed hidden talents. He became a gifted communicator who raised the union’s profile in multiple interviews after 9/11, including an appearance in the documentary, “Everyday Heroes,” produced by the IAM, which documented the accounts of union workers who responded to 9/11.

Appointed as a Special Assistant to the Local 100 President after 9/11, he organized the union’s response to the health problems of workers after the attack and was an outspoken champion in getting transit workers credit with having a major part in the emergency response to 911.  His advocacy for WTC rescuers was recognized by many, including Senator Hillary Clinton. He fought successfully for federal dollars to compensate WTC rescue and recovery workers. Mt. Sinai physician Steven Markowitz, who ran the WTC clinic at the hospital, called him “a selfless, passionate, big-hearted and smart guy.”

Jimmy suffered from a variety of health problems after his service at Ground Zero including respiratory trouble, kidney failure, and cardiac illnesses. Jimmy was approved for a NYCERS disability pension and obtained federal money from the World Trade Center fund administered by the Feinberg Commission. With the help of longtime union member and workers’ comp rep Joel Fredricson, he qualified for workers’ compensation due to exposures to tainted air at Ground Zero.

Christy Wills has asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Operation Kindness, a no-kill shelter  in Carrolton, TX, “to help them keep taking care of puppies and kitties in need.” Besides his wife, Jimmy leaves two stepchildren, Angela, who served in the U.S. Navy, and Amber, as well as two grandchildren, Christopher Jr. (CJ) and Autumn.