Well-Positioned for the Fight Ahead

The Old Testament tells us, “If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small.” The recent election was full of adversity. Yet, once again the IAFF proved that there is an abundance of strength in this union.

I write this column with my head held high, proud to be in the company of such strong men and women. On all sides of the political aisle, our union fought hard based on the only principle that the IAFF can rightfully judge — a candidate’s position on fire service, employment and economic issues.

In this election, we took a clear, strong stand based on that principle. And even though John Kerry — the candidate for president who was best on fire and labor issues — lost, our union still emerged a winner.

Every single IAFF member out there, who stood up, worked and campaigned for this good friend of ours should be proud. I know I am proud of you. But I’m not blind or deaf. I know that many IAFF members did not stand with us in our endorsement of Kerry for president. Many made their decision based on other personal and vitally important issues. Those members also took a principled stand. Most importantly, every one made his or her own value judgments, and voted. And that’s what America is all about. That’s what our union is all about.

Because our litmus test for political candidates is so straight forward, it applies to no single political party. While virtually every other labor union solely endorsed Democratic candidates, we supported both Democrats and Republicans in this election, with 35 percent of FIREPAC money going to Republicans.

And we achieved results that no other union can match. More than 85 percent of FIREPAC supported candidates won their races. IAFF members who ran for office won 73 percent of the races they entered. A total of 315 IAFF members and family members now hold publicly elected office — the most ever. And many of our affiliates were also successful in campaigns on ballot measures in their jurisdictions.

Equally important, our visibility during the campaign put the IAFF on the political map like never before.

Even in cases where candidates we opposed won their respective races, we have already received calls from those newly elected leaders to sit down and meet. They want the IAFF’s support, because opposing us is an uphill battle. In fact, senior Bush administration staff have already reached out to find some common ground. And we will be sitting down with them in the near future.

On Capitol Hill, we will be aggressively pushing the fire fighter agenda. Although we won’t get everything we want or need, we will achieve a level of success that no other union can hope to match because we have friends on both sides of the political aisle. We will take on city managers and council members, mayors, state and federal legislators — anyone who works against our members, Democrat or Republican. And in the end, those who oppose us will either change their position or come to regret it in the next election. During the IAFF Affiliate Leadership Training Summit in Atlanta, we rallied with more than 500 IAFF members from across the continent against that city’s Democratic mayor. She had pledged her support for fire fighter pay parity with the police during her campaign, and then had amnesia about that issue.

We will continue to join with locals across the country in similar fights. Whether it’s to combat the Philadelphia mayor’s planned fire department cuts, or to stem major staffing problems in Springfield, Massachusetts, or another issue in another city, we will be there with you, fighting to win justice wherever needed.

Any honest assessment recognizes that this election brought many of us together, but it also separated us in many ways. It’s time to move forward. If there’s one thing I know — no matter our politics, we will be united, because at the end of the day, we all have each other’s backs. As John F. Kennedy said, “Together we have been partners in adversity — let us also be partners in prosperity.”

The future is bright for our union. Though we just came through some tough times, instinctively, our bond as fire fighters always pulls us together. We extend our hand to others — whether it’s in saving a life, or helping a friend, co-worker, or union brother or sister. It’s who we are. And going forward, it’s who we will continue to be.

Stay safe. God bless you. God bless this union.

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