The subprime mortgage crisis. Skyrocketing oil and gas prices. Health care costs spiraling out of control.

Stagnant wages and family incomes, eroding health care benefits that cost you more and more, and disappearing pensions are beginning to reach all workers — including fire fighters.

The economy has slowed to a crawl and that’s already having an effect on state and local budgets across the United States.

The cost of running government at all levels keeps going up as prices rise. At the same time, tax revenues are down from the stalled housing market, foreclosures and because of slow or no growth in the number of jobs available.

One jurisdiction, Vallejo, California, has declared bankruptcy. Cities and counties all over are looking to cut their bottom line in every way possible. For fire fighters, that means you will hear about staffing reductions, stations closures, cost shifting and wage concessions.

We are assisting our affiliates and fighting to protect you by providing expert financial analysis, bargaining and legal assistance, GIS mapping of the effects of proposed cuts, and public relations and strategic help.

We have revised and published our “Surviving an Economic Crisis” guide to help IAFF affiliates prepare for and prevent proposed cuts in staffing, health care benefits, compensation, pension plans and other areas as a result of an economic downturn.

But because every decision that affects your job is made by an elected or appointed official at some level of government, the slowing economy and falling tax revenues make the stakes this November even higher than they already were. That’s why this union, as we do in every election, will once again be taking a strong and visible political stand.

We don’t care who the pundits want to win. We don’t make our decision based on political parties. We don’t watch the polls or jump on with some front runner.

We have a simple but strong set of principles that guide us in choosing who we endorse. We check to see where the candidates stand on issues that affect our members’ families, their jobs and economic security. Those who stand with us on the most important workplace, economic, personal financial and health and safety issues are the candidates who deserve our support.

This November, Americans will be voting to elect 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives, 34 U.S. senators, 11 governors and countless state and local officials. We will also be voting on who will be the leader of our great country for the next four years.

The IAFF will once again do our part to let you know who stands on the side of fire fighters’ economic, professional and health security issues, and who stands with us to fight for your rights on the job in this year’s elections.

Early on in the process, we took a strong stand with the candidate for president who stood head and shoulders above all others, who has been with us for the last 32 years when it came to fighting and championing issues that are critical to our members. We made the right decision for the right reasons and while Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) is no longer in the race, he will remain in an influential position in the U.S. Senate for years to come.

As I write this column, there are three candidates still running to become the next president of the United States. By the time you receive this edition of International Fire Fighter, there will only be two candidates.

Once the two candidates who will be the nominees of their respective parties have been determined, we will compare their records and will make our decision based on who has a health care plan that will help protect your family and the quality of your care, and stem the rising costs.

We will see who has been there for the critical votes on collective bargaining rights for all public safety workers, and how they voted. Who will work to protect your pension and retirement security in the long run, as we face more and more attacks on defined benefit plans in jurisdictions across the United States. Who will appoint Supreme Court Justices who will protect your FLSA overtime pay.

I am more than aware that not every one of our members will be happy with who we choose to endorse based on those issues. In politics, you never have 100 percent agreement. Our membership is as politically diverse as the overall citizens of our nation, so we know that any decision will not be embraced by a portion of our great membership.

But it’s our job to make a judgment and communicate with you on those issues that have to do with your working life and financial security, and we will do it again this year.

At the same time we celebrate every member’s right and responsibility to weigh the basket of issues your union is responsible for against the personal basket of issues that are your right to deal with in a very personal and private way when you decide who to cast your vote for.

The critically important but very personal issues, such as pro-life/pro-choice, prayer in schools, the Second Amendment, and same sex marriage are issues this union has no role and no right to weigh in on, and I am convinced our members don’t want their union addressing those issues. Those are issues that you need to decide personally, for yourselves.

The stakes can’t grow much higher. It’s your union’s job to support the political candidates who give our members a solid and sound future. As we move into this general election period, know we will do our best to inform you, educate you and provide the information you’ll need to make an informed decision when it comes time for you to make your choice in the voting booth.

Click Here to Read President Schaitberger's Past Messages