With support from the IAFF Strategic Initiatives team and IAFF FIREPAC funds, members have been empowered to influence significant political campaigns and ballot initiatives.
In Ohio, voters recently turned down a proposal to increase the minimum vote needed to amend the state constitution from a simple majority to a 60 percent majority. Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters (OAPFF) President Jon Harvey says the union played a pivotal role in organizing against the initiative.
“Issue 1 proposed changing the constitution, making it significantly harder to amend and this shift would have set an almost insurmountable hurdle for any constitutional amendments in the state,” he said. “Twelve years ago, Ohio faced Senate Bill 5, which stripped away our collective bargaining rights. The recent August initiative, if successful, would have posed formidable challenges, hindering collective efforts like those undertaken twelve years ago to repeal the bill.”
Harvey highlighted the strategic approach adopted by the union to mobilize voters, employing targeted marketing and messaging tactics. Central to their success was the comprehensive ground game executed in collaboration with the Ohio AFL-CIO, supported significantly by the IAFF.
“The IAFF’s leadership was engaged from the beginning, providing advice, and financial contributions which enabled us to carry out essential elements of the campaign, including mail-ins and outreach,” he said.
The IAFF’s leadership was engaged from the beginning, providing advice, and financial contributions which enabled us to carry out essential elements of the campaign, including mail-ins and outreach.
Jon harvey, Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters president
With one victory secured, the union is now shifting its attention to critical issues affecting Ohio fire fighters. “We’re addressing disparities in pension contributions between police and fire and we’re pushing for legislation to include PTSD coverage for fire fighters,” said Harvey.
Highlighting the importance of grassroots activism and unity within the firefighting community, Harvey encourages fire fighters to take a proactive approach in addressing political challenges.
“As fire fighters, we rush into a burning building to extinguish flames, we do not stand outside and expect others to handle it; if we do the house will just burn to the ground,” said Harvey. “Locals not engaged politically will face the same fate eventually. Locals like to think our job is not political, but every part of our job is political.”
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