On their first day as principal officers of the IAFF, General President Ed Kelly and General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma were together on the ground in Houston with Local 341 members, fighting for the rights of our local leaders to advocate for our members and their families. Local 341 members have faced more than their share of recent challenges, including the termination of President Marty Lancton, who was targeted for his union activity as part of an unscrupulous mayor’s latest attacks.
Recognizing the significance of spending his first day as General President with the members, General President Kelly reassured Local 341 members, and all members of the IAFF, that, “When the bell comes in, we show up and we fight. Fighting for a living is what we do. And the members of Local 341 and the IAFF, 324,000 members strong, are going to stand up and fight to make sure that Marty Lancton gets treated fairly.”
In January, the City of Houston terminated Lancton – yet another in a series of attacks on IAFF members in Houston that include the mayor’s anti-union, anti-worker policies that have kept our members from receiving pay increases and ignored a vote of the people for pay parity.
General Secretary Líma echoed the message. “Our first day in office, we’re here to not only fight, but to protect our leaders so they can get to the table to fight for healthcare, better wages and to make fire fighters jobs safer.
Following the rally, Kelly and Líma visited Houston fire stations, sharing their vision for the future of the IAFF.
