Mayor, Fire Chief Censured by International Association
At its international convention, held August 10-15, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the International Association of Fire Fighters AFL-CIO, CLC has voted unanimously to censure Mayor Timothy Stewart and Fire Chief Mark Carr. The IAFF is 290,000 members strong, with 3,100 affiliates representing fire fighters and paramedics in every state of the US and Canada.
The resolutions filed with the IAFF cite both the Mayor and Fire Chief for “transferred, skipped for promotion, disciplined, docked pay, and docked vacation time of union officers.” The citations also allege that both the Mayor and Fire Chief have disregarded the collective bargaining agreement which has led to the union filing over 50 grievances (only 4 of which the city has prevailed) as well as numerous prohibited practices and the filing of 2 civil suits.
An online video of the censure action at the convention is available by visting this site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2HLZuOmYoo
In addition, the resolution regarding Mayor Stewart’s censure cites an incident in which the mayor “disparaged firefighters and the fire department as a whole in a recorded phone call to the emergency dispatch center.” Visit the site below to hear a tape of that telephone call:
http://www.myleftnutmeg.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=8343
If the numbers provided by the union are accurate, this anti-union attitude of the Fire Chief and the Mayor is costing the city considerably. The legal expenses of fighting an estimated 46 grievances where the city lost, not to mention the unknown number of prohibited practices and the 2 civil suits that are pending, would appear to be a great expense to the city. It would seem that the mayor and the chief need to learn to respect the existing labor agreement which would create a better work environment for the firefighters and save the taxpayers the extensive costs of fighting all of these cases.
Maybe the Fire Chief and the Mayor should consider attending labor management training to learn how to better understand their obligations under the collective bargaining agreement.
50 comments:
How soon we forget, and how shameful this is for the administration. After 9/11, there was a big appreciation for what these guys do for the rest of us, but in time, the public seems to have forgotten the risks these guys take for all of us. It may not be that they risk their lives every single minute of every day, so the people become complacent, but let us all try to remember what they are willing to do for any one of us in a time of need. Firefighters, ems personnel and police officers, are willing to risk their own lives to save one of us, and they won't even think twice about putting their own neck on the line nor will they hesitate even for a second when the situation arises. It would appear that Mayor Stewart forgot his roots.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, Mr. Mayor.
Everyone should let the mayor know how despicable they think his record is with regard to the treatment of the fire personnel. E-mail him, call him, or even post your comments about it here for all to see.
Also, when you happen to run into a fire fighter, police officer, or a member New Britain EMS Services, take the time just to say thanks and let them know you do appreciate what they do for all of us. You might be surprised to learn how much it will mean to that person to hear how much the public appreciates them, even if their own administration doesn't!
It would certainly mean a lot to the firefighters to hear that the public does appreciate them, even if the mayor doesn't.
hang on guys even if we have to wait until election time to deal with it.
Is there any surprise that this mayor is blowing tons of money fighting the union on grievance and prohibited practices when all this could be avoided if he would simply honor his obligations under the contract? He plays his childish games, and the rest of us pay for it.
Mr. Mayor: Shame,Shame,Shame, A relative to a New Britain Fireman.
Mr. Mayor, these heroes deserve your respect, not being harassed every day, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on you!
does this mayor ever do anything right, ever?
The mayor plays his rotten childish games and we are all left to pay the bill for it. SCANDALOUS!
The City of New Britain has 155 Firefighters, only 22 Firefighters reside in City of New Britain and that Fire Chief Carr and Fire Commission prefers to hire local residents as Firefighters.
It is reported that while there are 36 Firefighters manning the firehouses per a shift in New. Britain, also there are only 18 police officers out on the streets at any give time per a shift.
In Phil Sherwood’s Freedom of Information Ordinance New Britain Taxpayers can not obtain the home address of the 155 Firefighters who are not New Britain residents as per Sub-Section(7)and New Britain Police Officers per Sub-Section (2) of FOI.
FOI Section. 1-217. Nondisclosure of residential addresses of certain individuals. (a) No public agency may disclose, under the Freedom of Information Act, the residential address of any of the following persons.
(2) A sworn member of a municipal police department or a sworn member of the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety
(7) A firefighter
and what is wrong with that?
These laws, and even the motor vehicle department is not allowed to know the home address of these people (state law allows them to use their business address on their driver's license and car registrations) are designed to protect these individuals from people finding out where they live so that they don't have to worry about wackos threatening harm to them or their families for the official acts they may take in the performance of their jobs.
Do you want the police to have to worry about themselves or their family being threatened every time they do their job?
So what are you saying, that the commission and the chief engage in harassment for the firefighters who choose to live outside the city? That's the appearance your statement gives me, and if that is what they are doing, that is very shameful, not to mention illegal.
in response to the anonymous poster's claim that "these heroes deserve the mayor's respect," shame on you for calling these people heroes. new york firemen are heroes because they risked and lost their lives do to a terrorist attack. but as for the new britain firemen, how could you call them heroes when IT'S THEIR JOB TO DO WHAT THEY DO, THEY GET PAID IN CASE YOU DIDN'T REALIZE.
yes they do get paid just like you do, but does your job spec say you may be required to takes risks up to an including loss of life? Just from your ignorant comments, I would guess not.
so typical, they are nothing but garbage until your own house is on fire, or you are having a coronary.
NOT HEROES, what a jerk, sounds like something that nasty jerk of a mayor would post or maybe one of his cronies that he no doubt put up to it.
I have never heard of a more hateful person, going around yelling and swearing at people. How did that moron ever get elected in the first place?
Only NYC Fire Fighters are heroes? Do think that even one of our New Britain Fire Fighters would hesitate for a second to risk their own life to save your lame a** from inside a burning building, even if that building might fall on your dumb a** and theirs in the process.
They get paid for what they might one day be expected to do, and that is to die trying to save your ignorant, hateful butt.
And you know what, they would still risk their life to help you even knowing how much you dislike them, because that is who they are!
Do you know how rare it is for even one firefigher to retire without a list of permanent injuries and illnesses? A very good friend of mind retired from NBFD. He had survived a heart attack, multiple strokes, had ulcers, a back injury and permanent injuries to both legs. The guy was a walking pharmacy right up to the day he died, and he always told me he never minded the risks or the job itself, but it was the politics from upstairs that always ate at him. He talked all the time about how miserable the management treated their firefighters even back then. He was a young man when he died, and if you check, you will find not too many firefighters live to an old age because of all the stress and injuries to their bodies.
The Mayor tried to keep this entire story HUSH HUSH, but unfortunately for Tiny Tim, what happened in Vegas, didn't stay in Vegas.
apparently Timmy's mommy and daddy never taught him when he was a little boy that if he was in trouble to find a policeman or fireman for help.
what makes you think he had parents. aren't reptiles hatched?
Great story Frank. With someone like you around to keep us informed, maybe these guys in power will stop getting away with such disgraceful activities. I hope you will keep following this story with the firemen.
couldn't we keep these HEROES, and get rid of the mayor instead?
When referring to the mayor as a reptile, I believe the term that the earlier poster really meant was:
REPROBATE
I still would like to hear why Alderman Sherwood publicly pledges support for raises for the cops, but does not support giving raises to the fire fighters? I wonder if he supports harassment of the fire fighters union officals as well.
Hopefully the mayor watched the interview with David Oreck, the vacuum cleaner king on TV tonight. To quote Mr. Oreck:
"We take care of our people and they take care of our customers."
Hopefully our illustrious mayor paid attention and learned a lesson or two on the importance of treating his employees well.
Mr. Smith: hopefully your site will still be here to remind everyone about this kind of stuff just before the election next year!
SHAME SHAME SHAME
for shame, for shame!
it's amazing that anyone would apply for a job here
shocking behavior on behalf of the mayor!
The Mayor has a long history of harassing and threatening firefighters. In fact, Rick Guiness reported on an issue on 7/4/2007 in the New Britain Herald whereby 4 members of the General Assembly accused Stewart of "threatening to punish firefighters" if the legislators didn't vote for a bill that would let Stewart buy back his previous time in the pension system to allow him to juice up his retirement credits (almost sounds like a Bozek move).
The article further quoted Mayor Stewart as saying: "if you think I have hurt the firefighters so far, just wait." The article also quotes the mayor as saying that if they are unhappy, they should seek employment elsewhere. It appears that he has a long history of harassing, and threatening firefighters, especially if he doesn't get his way, much like a child. Every time he forces a firefighter out of the department because of his childish and nasty antics, it is the rest of us who pay dearly. We have a considerable investment in the training and career of each firefighter, so to have a mayor running around coercing them to leave is something that none of us should agree with.
July 2, 2007
Statement from Senator Donald DeFronzo, Representative John Geragosian, Representative Tim O’Brien, and Representative Peter Tercyak
New Britain's state legislators have not wanted to make a political issue of a matter involving actions by Mayor Timothy Stewart related to his pension. However, because Stewart has referred to people as "liars" when revelations where made of his involvement in an effort to provide him with a special pension benefit, the record must be set straight. Especially since members of the press and public are asking to know what has occurred, here is a factual account of what happened at the State Capitol and how the Mayor used his position to further his personal benefits:
* On June 1, 2007, Republican State Rep. Sean Williams introduced an amendment (http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/AMD/H/2007HB-06988-R00HB AMD.htm) which was approved in the House. This legislation would have imposed a mandate on municipally run pension funds, including the New Britain fire fighter pension fund, compelling municipalities to allow certain municipal elected officials to receive larger pension benefits. The legislation appears that it could have resulted in additional costs to New Britain taxpayers.
* Mayor Stewart is on leave as a New Britain city fire fighter and stood to benefit personally if the legislation was approved.
* The type legislation in question is commonly called a "rat." It is called a "rat" because it is designed to provide personal benefits to one particular, usually politically connected, person or to a small number of people, and because it is done with little or no public input. And, in the case of this amendment, there was little time to analyze the financial impact.
* In the June 29, 2007, New Britain Herald, Democratic Chairman John McNamara said that New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart, "...did go up [to the State Capitol] to seek a piece of not-so-visible legislation about his own personal needs," referring to this special pension legislation.
* Stewart's response that, "...I never did anything for my pension," is factually false. In fact, he did use political influence in an effort to increase his own city pension benefits. Stewart clearly stated, to Rep. Tim O'Brien, that he had asked Rep. Williams, a close ally and friend, to introduce the legislation
* Mayor Stewart's comments to O'Brien were made during a trip by Mayor Stewart to the State Capitol, on June 5, 2007, the day that the legislation to provide him with the special pension benefit was considered in the State Senate.
* The Senate rejected the amendment Rep. Williams had introduced for Mayor Stewart and returned the matter to the House. The House concurred with the Senate and approved the legislation without the Stewart pension amendment.
* Prior to final action on the pension amendment in the House, Mayor Stewart stated, to both Rep. O'Brien and Sen. Donald DeFronzo, that that he, Mayor Stewart, would cause working conditions for New Britain city fire fighters to be made worse as a result of the legislature rejecting the special pension legislation that benefited Stewart personally.
* This latter comment is a potentially serious matter, with the Mayor using his powers of public office in an attempt to compel other elected officials, under threat of harm to city workers, to increase Stewart's own personal income.
* The implication, by Mayor Stewart, that he would cause harm to city employees unless the legislators granted a personal financial benefit to him appears to be an abuse of Stewart's powers of office as Mayor. What is not known is whether it would also be a violation of the following, or any other, state law:
* Sec. 53a-192. Coercion: Class A misdemeanor or class D felony. (a) A person is guilty of coercion when he compels or induces another person to engage in conduct which such other person has a legal right to abstain from engaging in, or to abstain from engaging in conduct in which such other person has a legal right to engage, by means of instilling in such other person a fear that, if the demand is not complied with, the actor or another will: (1) Commit any criminal offense; or (2) accuse any person of a criminal offense; or (3) expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or to impair any person's credit or business repute; or (4) take or withhold action as an official, or cause an official to take or withhold action.
(b) It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution based on subdivision (2), (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of this section that the actor believed the accusation or secret to be true or the proposed official action justified and that his purpose was limited to compelling the other person to behave in a way reasonably related to the circumstances which were the subject of the accusation, exposure or proposed official action, as by desisting from further misbehavior or making good a wrong done. (c) Coercion is a class A misdemeanor except, if the threat is to commit a felony, coercion is a class D felony.
sounds pretty clear to me. Why wasn't that situation at the capitol turned over to the state's attorney for investigation?
THE UNION SHOULD SUBMIT A COPY OF THE STATEMENT FROM THE LEGISLATORS AS EVIDENCE IN EVERY ARBITRATION TO SHOW THAT THE MAYOR IS SIMPLY FOLLOWING THROUGH ON HIS EXTORTIONIST THREATS. AFTER READING THAT STATEMENT, WHAT ARBITRATOR COULD DO ANYTHING BU RULE IN FAVOR OF THE UNION MEMBER.
POLITICS AS USUAL?
On June 1, 2007, Republican State Rep. Sean Williams introduced an amendment (http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/AMD/H/2007HB-06988-R00HB AMD.htm) which was approved in the House – pertaining to Mayor Stewart’s pension.
When we went to access amendment - http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/AMD/H/2007HB-06988-R00HB AMD.htm.
This is what can up - The page cannot be found.
Why?
POLITICS AS USUAL ?
Will their be any photos of Rep. Tim O'Brien's family - his wife and step-son printed in his campaign mailings?
The page can not be found because the legislature voted down Stewart's attempt to line his pockets at the expense of the taxpayers, so it no longer exists. The only place you could get a copy of such a document that was rejected is in the archives at the state library. The only document that still exists is the statement put out by the 4 legislators condemning his extortionist like behavior.
Sounds like it is time to dump him as mayor. How can he ever be an effective leader if every time he does something, there is question as to whether he is doing it to fulfill a hateful personal agenda? Obvious the arbitrators have been able to see through his B.S. or the union would not have prevailed so many times.
have you ever met this mayor? He has one of the foulest mouths you could ever imagine.
It is amazing how Alderman Sherwood was so outspoken about his public support for a raise for the police officers, but as soon as he was asked about his position regarding the firefighters, he pulled a major disappearing act. I hope all the firefighters are paying attention to his open lack of support for their issues and even his apparent disagreement for raises for them.
I've already answered your loaded question. Feel free to question my support of firefighters all you want, but anyone who knows me knows I support them.
And if you don't agree. Please don't tell my father as he was a firefighter for about 30 years.
IMPEACH STEWART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess from what that earlier poster had to say, Tim Stewart was never considered a hero in his 18 years because he never worked in New York City.
DOUBLE SHAME, Mr. Mayor!
"Your safety will not be compromised on my watch," says Chief Mark Carr.
What about it Chief?
Just words, just speeches?
CHIEF CARR RESPONSIBLE FOR POOR MORALE? Check out the Eyewitness News Video on this subject:
http://www.wfsb.com/news/13943920/detail.html
maybe they are right about the firemen being a little off, after all, who in their right mind would work for such evil people?
SHOCKING VIDEO!
sounds like little Timmy is ashamed of his years as a foundation saver!
nozzle head is a better term for Timmy
how about water chicken little timmy, now that's a name that could stick: chicken little timmy
The city Council should investigate as to why all these grievances have occurred at the fire department causing an extreme low morale attitude among the city's firemen and what steps should be takened to correct this problem.
Maybe that is what the auditor was working on when Salvio got rid of her to silence her!!!!!!
Maybe we need an auditor to look into all the money the mayor is spending to fight grievances that the city keeps losing because he won't fulfill his contractual obligations.
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