Maine Fire Fighters Rally to Rehire Nine Laid Off Fire Fighters

July 28, 2009 – After nine fire fighter jobs were cut earlier this month, IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, IAFF 3rd District Vice President Mike Mullane, Professional Fire Fighters of Maine President John Martell, Portland, ME Local 740 members and fire fighters from around the region descended on Portland City Hall July 22, to deliver a simple message: Don’t cut safety.

Speaking at the rally, Schaitberger said, “Times are tough. Everyone is being asked to make sacrifices. But, when you lay off fire fighters, you sacrifice lives.”

“It is a real travesty that the city could find plenty of money for their pet projects, but could not find any to keep the fire fighters,” says IAFF 3rd District Vice President Mullane. “Public safety should always win above all else.”

The relationship between the City of Portland and Portland Local 740 became strained after the City negotiated a 2.5 percent raise in the fire fighters’ contract and then tried to take it back due to budgetary concerns.

“Local 749 members felt that we had bargained for this contract in good faith, so we voted to fight to keep the raise,” says Winston McGill, president of Portland Local 740. “Meanwhile, we were still willing to work with the City over their budgetary concerns, offering them several viable money-saving solutions.”

Still, the City moved to eliminate nine fire fighter positions. These cuts were in addition to the 14 fire fighter jobs lost in the previous fiscal year, bringing the total of lost fire fighter positions to 23.

At the rally, Schaitberger called on the City of Portland to work with the IAFF and its fire fighters to find a solution to the budgetary crisis. Schaitberger said that new rules for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants could help bring back all 23 laid-off Portland fire fighters.

The new rules make funding available to help bring back fire fighters laid off as a result of the financial crisis. “The IAFF worked very hard to change the rules so that cities can retain their fire fighters. Portland needs to apply for SAFER dollars to keep lives and jobs safe,” says Schaitberger.