New Horizons, Old Battles

Since its founding in 1918, the International Association of Fire Fighters has fought for the rights of our union members as they have worked to provide the best fire and emergency protection possible to the citizens of our two nations. We have fought these battles wherever and whenever they arose. The IAFF has never backed down, and on my watch we will be more aggressive than ever before.

Our union has always focused on issues at the national level. In fact, delegates at our founding convention made it their first order of business to march on Capitol Hill to lobby for our agenda. We have built on that proud tradition and made the IAFF a potent political force on both sides of the border.

At the same time, the IAFF has worked tirelessly to safeguard the individual rights of its members. The battles in the early years of our Union focused on eliminating the draconian single-platoon system, increasing abysmally low wages, and bringing fairness to the hiring and promotion process.

Eighty-four years later, those battles continue. Unfortunately, some elected officials, city managers, and fire chiefs continue to treat our members like serfs, refusing to recognize their union, preventing them from bargaining for their working conditions and safety, muzzling their constitutional right to free speech, and arbitrarily disciplining or firing our affiliate leaders for union activity.

Protecting Our Nations

On Sept. 11, 2001, we were reminded of the heavy price we must pay for freedom. For the first time since the British burned the White House in 1812, foreign enemies attacked the continental United States. Even the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii did not impact most Americans as deeply as commercial airliners crashing into the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

In the aftermath of the attack, the media adopted fire fighters as the symbol of our national resolve. Americans have finally recognized that fire fighters are their first line of homeland defense.

National leaders have sprung into action to redefine our security structure. They have created new offices, responsibilities, and funding priorities for national security - including President Bush’s plan to create a new cabinet-level department. I applaud this effort and am committed to ensuring that first responders are a focal point of this initiative.

The IAFF is working hard with the Administration and Congress as they craft legislation to implement the new Department of Homeland Security. I recently met with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Sen. Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, to stress the need to fund increased staffing, training and equipment for our nation’s fire departments.

It is our job to make sure that the communities of our two nations are prepared to respond to terrorist attacks and other emergencies. Fire fighters and paramedics must be an integral part of security planning, and government must provide the resources we need to fulfill our charge.

That’s why we’re pushing so hard on our legislative agenda. Our SAFER Act would add 75,000 fire fighters to help ease the staffing shortages that plague two-thirds of U.S. fire departments. Our HazMat, WMD, and other training grant programs funded by FEMA

and the Departments of Justice and Energy need long-term support. The President’s Fire Responder Program and the FIRE Act must survive the bureaucratic empire building, as well.

Recently, we launched a new FIREPAC campaign that reflects our position that the time for talk is over: “Words Are Not Enough.” Political leaders who want to do right by fire fighters have a clear road map to follow. If a politician wants your support, give them a copy of this column and tell them to get on board.

Protecting Our Members’ Rights

Meanwhile, the battle to protect our members’ rights to form unions, speak out on matters of public safety, and engage in the political process continues. In department after department, especially in the South, our people are being threatened, disciplined and fired for union activities. The IAFF’s new Legal Guardian Policy is our uncompromising and aggressive response to these attacks.

The policy represents this Union’s total commitment to fight for your rights wherever, whenever and however they are threatened. We will stand on the front line to battle injustice and protect the rights of our members to conduct union work and activities.

Affiliate presidents who believe that an employer has engaged in retaliatory activities against a member or local should request assistance through their District Vice President. Requests are acted upon after evaluating various factors, including cost, merits, significance and potential impact on our members, the local affiliate, and the IAFF. I’m pleased to report that our new Legal Guardian policy is getting results - and putting elected officials on notice that we will not tolerate intolerance.

In Springdale, Ark. [see story and letter to the editor] we helped win back the job of local President Dean Bitner. Brother Bitner was fired for standing up for his members, and the IAFF stood up for him. Today, he has his job back and we continue to pursue a case defending his First Amendment rights in federal court.

In Atmore, Ala., Local Vice President Marcus Vaughn was fired for speaking out for the rights of his members, and ultimately had to declare bankruptcy. The sad reality is that this is union busting, plain and simple. The IAFF will not abandon Brother Vaughn and we will throw everything into this fight to get his job back.

We have other important pending cases, in places like Odessa, Texas, where local president Stan Tinney was disciplined for exercising his constitutional right to inform citizens about public safety deficiencies in their department. The City had the gall to drag in five officers of Local 1665 to interrogate them regarding content on the local’s web site. I guess management there never heard of free speech.

The Guardian Policy has also been used to help IAFF affiliates in California fight challenges brought by various municipalities to the state’s new mandatory arbitration law. While the locals’ counsel is handling the legal work, IAFF Counsel Tom Woodley is assisting in developing a strong, united legal strategy.

I have a clear and simple message for officials in Atmore, Springdale, Odessa, and every other place across this International where they abuse our people because they are union: We will outlast you; we will outspend you; we will out-lawyer you; and, by God, we will beat you at your own game.

In Washington and Ottawa, the IAFF’s message is equally clear: We will be there in the halls of Congress and Parliament; we will be at the White House; and we will make sure that the interests of professional fire fighters are at the forefront of our national agenda.

On to Las Vegas

In the last few months, I have traveled the length and breadth of our two nations attending 39 state and provincial conventions, and visiting firehouses to meet with our brothers and sisters everywhere I could.

It was a grueling but rewarding experience. I learned many things about us and about our union, but one message rose above all others: We are united today as a union and as a profession like never before. The level of dedication and the enthusiastic support I have seen among every IAFF member I have met during my travels is unprecedented. Your energy and commitment inspire me, as well as the Executive Board and our seasoned IAFF staff, to redouble our efforts.

With the momentum we have going at every level of our Union, I look forward to a great Convention that will propel us even further in our mission on your behalf.