Fire Fighters Rally In Support of New Britain Mayoral Candidate

October 31, 2007 -- More than 150 fire fighters attended a rally October 30 to support New Britain (CT) mayoral candidate Jim Wyskiewicz. General President Harold Schaitberger, who participated in the rally, urged fire fighters to support Wyskiewicz and get to the polls on November 6. Wyskiewicz is running against incumbent Mayor Timothy Stewart, who is seeking a third two-year term.

Schaitberger was joined at the rally for Wyskiewicz by Pete Carozza, president of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, and New Britain Local 992 President Ed Preece.

Powerful state Democrats also attended, including Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and Comptroller Nancy Wyman. Fire fighters from Stamford, Hartford, Tolland, Danbury and Fairfield also came in support of Wyskiewicz.

“We need to send a message to Mayor Stewart," said President Schaitberger. "He needs to know that we’re here today because he has mistreated fire fighters for four years. He has abused his power for four years. He has undermined fire fighters and eroded your morale for four years.”

“We had a great turnout,” says Preece. “There was a lot of gold and black in the audience. I’ve had some guys who were reluctant to get involved in the campaign, but they came, and after hearing President Schaitberger, they told me they wanted to get involved.”

Mayor Stewart took a leave of absence from his job as a fire fighter in New Britain to run for mayor four years ago. Since becoming mayor, Stewart’s lack of support for the New Britain Fire Department and Local 992 has become a grave concern, Preece said.

Stewart has retaliated against union members by transferring fire fighters who are active in the union and by manipulating the promotions process to pass over union officials. Stewart also has sent letters to the homes of union members denouncing their union involvement.

Wyskiewicz has pledged to restore good relations between the union and city hall and restore morale within the fire department.

Preece said Stewart’s hatred of the department is responsible for a wave of early retirements.

Stewart also has a reputation for being profane, and now it’s been documented. A recording of the mayor was posted on YouTube October 23. The taped call was made during a heavy rainstorm in October 2005 to a dispatcher. Mayor Stewart is recorded as telling the dispatcher that he got a call from an irate woman who demanded that he take action to prevent further flooding in her neighborhood. The mayor refers to her as a “bitch.” He also uses profanity when referring to fire fighters and other city workers during the call. President Preece says that in the recorded call, Mayor Stewart calls fire fighters “assholes.”