As many of you know, we attended the 2008 IAFF Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Those in attendance were Craig Willman, James Wilkins, Roxanne Hack-Smero, Brian O'Neill, and John Turner. There were a few controversial items voted on as well as a per capita increase. That increase will be effective September 1, 2008. You may get on the IAFF's website to update yourselves on all of the resolutions that were voted on or resolved.
Elections of officer's were held and again, our International will be led by Harold Schaitberger, President and Vinnie Bollon, Secretary/Treasurer. Most of the District Vice Presidents won through acclaimation but there were a couple of districts who will be under new leadership. Also, in attendance, were firefighters from Australia who are possibly looking for leadership and membership within the International. As many of you are aware, the International now represents the US and Canada.
I hope everyone is doing well and as always, stay safe!
The IAFF hosted its 2008 Ernest A. "Buddy" Mass Human Relations Conference in New Orleans, January 20th-23rd. The Theme this year was "Many Faces, Many Voices, One Dream, One Union". As an elected member of the IAFF Human Relations Committee, I witnessed first hand, the impact that recognition of diversity in the Fire Service has within our own Local and abroad. We were fortunate to have five of our members attend. They were Craig Willman- President, James Wilkins- Vice President, Ronel Brown- E-Board, Salvadore Melendez and myself. We had a record setting number of attendees (400) that kept us busy throughout the conference. This year was also special in that we shared our conference days with the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While many of you know he was the "King", if you will, of the Civil Rights Movement, I'm sure many of you don't know the impact he had on the Labor movement. In fact, at the time of his death, he was in Memphis trying to assist AFSCME with a collective bargaining agreement for the sanitation workers. He believed that Civil Rights and Labor overlapped one another and that we all had a responsibility to see that everyone was treated fairly.
One of the speakers at the conference was William Lucy. Mr. Lucy is a founder and the first and only president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. He is one of the most revered and highest-ranking black labor leaders in the world. He is presently the Secretary-Treasurer of the 1.4 million-member AFSCME, AFL-CIO serving since 1972, just recently being re-elected to another four-year term. In 1968, Lucy worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the above mentioned historic Memphis sanitation workers strike. In the aftermath of Dr. King's assassination, Mr. Lucy helped maintain the labor-civil rights-community coalition that sealed the worker's victory and became the model used throughout the nation. It was such an honor to sit and listen to such history and feel the responsibility he feels toward all people. May we all learn that there is "Power in Diversity"!
This year at the conference was election year for committee members and I would like to share that I've been elected to serve another four year term on the IAFF Human Relations Committee. If anyone is interested in serving on our own Local Human Relations Committee, please call me. We'd love to have you.
For all of you who didn't know, $25.00 is placed in an enevlope every month for some lucky person to win for showing up at the Union Meeting. At the last meeting, Thomas Cecil, could have won $375.00. At next month's meeting (10-22) it is up to $400. 00. The name is drawn randomly and you must be present at the end of the meeting to win.
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