Politics Puts Bread on Your Table
July-August 2001

Why does the IAFF spend so much time and money on politics? All of you have heard that question asked around the fire house at one time or another - and so have I during my many visits to fire stations around our two nations over the last 10 months.

Usually our Republican brothers and sisters are grousing about the money the International gives to Democratic candidates, while the Democrats among us are complaining about the money we give to Republicans.

Then there are those among our 245,000 members who can't understand why the International participates in the political process at all. They think all politics is a waste of time, or they believe it will alienate one group of politicians or another. 

These are all valid questions and gripes - and they deserve to be answered. 

We are involved in political action to achieve our goals - and if you are not involved in engaging decision makers through the political process, you and your issues are left behind and forgotten. Politics is an integral part of how decisions are made at the local, state, provincial, and national levels. 

Political action is not a new concept for our Union. The International has been active in politics since the day we were formed in 1918 when our founding members left their first convention in Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress on behalf of the District of Columbia fire fighters. 

We have been active in the political arena ever since and many important federal laws that directly impact your health and safety, your job, and your wallets are the result of our union's lobbying efforts in Washington and Ottawa. The Public Safety Officers Benefit which provides $151,635 in federal funds to the surviving family members of our fallen fire fighters, changes in laws affecting your pensions, civil service reforms, the 2-in/2-out OSHA safety regulation, the FIRE Act and, of course, the Fair Labor Standards Act Overtime Law that has put tens of millions of dollars in the pockets of our members, are among the many laws that are the result of IAFF lobbying efforts. 

Another matter that will require heavy involvement in the political process is implementation of the new NFPA 1710 standard, which was recently issued after years of work by the IAFF and our allies. 

Most of you know your local city council or county commission members, and support the efforts of your local union to lobby them because the issues they deal with directly affect your salary, benefits, and working conditions. But many of our members, like the majority of our citizens, view the capitals of our two nations as far off places, devoid of reality, where spoiled politicians look out for themselves more than the public. 

While it may not always be evident at first glance, the fact is that the actions of Congress in Washington and the Parliament in Ottawa have a direct impact on you and your families. We use the FIREPAC dollars that you contribute to advance our goals and promote an agenda for you. That's why it's so important that you contribute. 

This year alone, we have succeeded in passing changes in tax laws that will give you more control over your deferred compensation plans and enhance their portability. The federal 2-in/2-out regulation has already saved the lives of IAFF members; the FIRE Act will soon provide much-needed funding for staffing, protective clothing and equipment, and when, not if, our national collective bargaining bill becomes law, locals representing tens of thousands of IAFF members will have the right, for the first time, to sit across from their employers to discuss wages, benefits, and working conditions. 

The International endorses and supports those candidates at the federal level who support our issues, our agenda, and our goals, regardless of their political party affiliation. Although we support more Democrats than Republicans for the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate because they tend to be more attuned to many of our issues, we have a track record of supporting more Republicans than any other union. 

We do this for two reasons. First, we try to reflect the moderate makeup of our IAFF membership by dealing with the moderates from both parties and, second, by not putting all of our apples in one basket we ensure that neither political party takes us for granted. 

We have strong relationships with Democratic leaders like Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, but we are also close to Republicans such as National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Davis of Virginia and House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois. 

When we pushed successfully for the FIRE Act, we worked with many members of both parties in both houses of Congress to secure passage. When the Bush administration attempted to zero out money for the program, we again took a bipartisan approach and worked hand in hand with two key legislators - Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman C.W. Bill Young of Florida - to secure the FIRE Act funding. 

In our work with officials from both parties, we are attempting to bring their views more in line with the issues that affect our members inside and outside the workplace. We are doing the same thing within the AFL-CIO now that I am a member of the labor federation's Executive Council. 

In late July, I brought in local union presidents from several cities with uncooperative Democratic mayors to meet with Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and explore ways we can get some of these mayors to better understand our issues and be more supportive of their local fire fighters. 

And as I write this column, the AFL-CIO is studying a proposal I made to create a national organization for union hunters, fishermen, and other outdoor sporting enthusiasts that would give IAFF members and other union members a viable alternative to the NRA. As a hunter and a fisherman, I believe we need to create an organization that provides all of the benefits of the NRA, but with a pro-union and a pro-worker focus. 

I know we can never please our rock-ribbed Republican brothers and sisters, who will never support any Democrat, nor can we appease our dedicated Democrats who consider Republican to be a dirty word. But we will do the best we can to represent the IAFF's positions and the values of you and our other members as we conduct our Union's business in the national political arenas of our two nations. 

As I visit fire stations around our two nations, I have tried to devote most of my time to listening to our brothers and sisters on duty, rather than give a speech. Fire fighters and paramedics have never been known to be bashful and I have gotten many earfuls about our members' values, concerns, and idea over the past months during my station visits. 

It is a refreshing and invigorating experience to know that our ranks are filled by so many individuals who are committed and dedicated to our union and to the missions of their fire departments. It provides me with new perspectives on the issues facing you and our 245,000 brothers and sisters in the IAFF. And, quite frankly, it is great to just spend some quality time sitting around the kitchen table in fire houses with the men and women who pay the freight for our great International Union. 

It has reinforced my understanding of the strong bond that exists between members of the IAFF family, no matter where you live and work. And it has redoubled my commitment to our mission as a union because I know we are strong. 

I am confident that the IAFF will become still stronger because there is strength in unity - and you prove every day how united we really are.

Fraternally,

Harold Schaitberger, General President

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