At this time last year, former Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski had Allentown's firefighters so messed up that they were forced to use a pick-up truck to respond to fires. It's a badass truck, a GMC, but it's still just a pick-up truck. It has no water pumping capability or tank, though the bed of the truck is full of equipment that might slow down an inferno.
Jeremy Warmkessel, President of Fire Fighters Local 302, could have just kept his head down and ignore this problem, especially since the union contract is in effect until 2020. But as a firefighter who saved the life of a three-year old boy while battling a blaze in 2012, he understands the importance of having the right kind of equipment. As he put it himself, "This is a safety issue."
He went on to explain that his department's operating budget has shrunk from $455,098 in 2008 to just $156,896 in 2017, a drop of 65.52%. No provision has been made for repair or maintenance supplies. The equipment on hand had decreased from $108,638 in 2008 to just $23,396 in 2017. Only $35,000 was allotted to train 122 firefighters. A scant $3,500 is set aside to purchase chemicals that are often more important than water in extinguishing a fire.
"He is setting our department up for failure," said Warmkessel of Fed Ed.
While Fed Ed was endangering both firefighters and the public with equipment, Solicitor Susan Wild was battling them over staffing. When firefighters resisted a reduction in the minimum staffing on each shift, she took them to court. And as reported by The Morning Call, she lost.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, speaking through Justice Debra Todd, ruled in favor of firefighters and said the City had an obligation to negotiate if it wished to reduce staffing. She reasoned there was "an unambiguous and powerful link between shift staffing and firefighter health and safety." She added that "a minimum shift staffing mandate, given its direct and significant impact on firefighter health and safety, is simply not a managerial prerogative that should be insulated from the give-and-take of collective bargaining."
Instead of accepting the ruling, Wild criticized it, and argued it would have a negative impact on the City's budget.
Does this sound like someone who cares even a little bit about public safety?
Well guess what? The Executive Board of Allentown Local 302 of the International Association of Firefighters has unanimously voted to endorse Northampton County DA John Morganelli for Congress in the Democratic Primary Election. According to their letter, Morganelli was endorsed because of his "years of public service and his exceptional balance exhibited as district attorney."
"This endorsement made by the brave men and women who serve Allentown as firefighters means a great deal to me," said Morganelli. "My brother-in-law and cousin are retired Bethlehem firefighters, and I have always admired the courage and dedication exhibited by these public servants who put their lives on the line to save others."
Morganelli has also picked up the endorsement of Local # 22 - Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union, associated with the Pa. AFL-CIO.
15 comments:
good for Morgenelli.
However
"The union, which represents 122 city firefighters, went to the state Supreme Court to appeal last year's Commonwealth Court decision, in which a panel of judges sided with the city. The panel threw out a Lehigh County judge's ruling that upheld the arbitrator's award requiring 25 firefighters per shift after contract negotiations reached an impasse in 2011."
and
"Allentown solicitor Susan Ellis Wild said the city disagrees with the decision. She predicts that the ruling will have a negative impact on municipal budgets across the state."
also
"Wild highlighted the court's observation that Act 111, which governs collective bargaining for police and firefighters in Pennsylvania, does not explicitly state which topics can be decided by an arbitrator. As a result, courts are required to make that determination in place of legislators.
"It is now time for the Legislature to finally take action to revise Act 111 to provide relief to municipalities," Wild said."
sounds like a fair enough argument.
It is an argument that both jeopardizes public safwrty and the right of firefighters to negotiate over their own safety. Wild exalted money over the government’s basic obligation to protect both its citizens and the people who work for the city.
All last year Lehigh Valley Rambling told us Attorney Wild was a principled professional and a person of the highest integrity in spite of having worked for Ed Pawlowski.
Suddenly the same person has no honor, no personal integrity, and lies to her peers?
The words and music don’t go together here.
Are we talking about the same person?
Firefighter unions should not be used in political elections such as this way. It does not help them but just the opposite. Shame on the union leadership for allowing the tax payer funded employees to be used like this. Shameful that the desperation of a candidate.
and the firefighters get to negotiate at contract time.
the contract calls for arbitration which the firefighters agreed to.
the firefighters lost the first round with the arbitrator.
then again when the court agreed with the arbitrator.
the firefighters appealed and won.
the original arb was in 2011 and i have no idea if Wild was involved or even there.
as to the final ruling yes the firefighters must argue safety(they are right) but it is fair to say budgets will be affected.
the mayor cut the funds to the firefighters and deserves shame for doing so.
3:18, Allentown’s firefighters are extremely popular. Everyone (except Sue Wild) knows they were shafted. She begged them to endorse her. They know what she is like, and that is anti-union and anti public safety. But she has spent a career screwing people.
3:14, I thought she was a person of integrity until she proved otherwise by breaking her word.
Remember it is Mancrush Monday!
Once you run out of argument, you start the personal attacks.
Deleted four OT comments.
Just maybe as a state senator he will also help the fad solve some of the unsolvable hostel take over tacticZ employed by thoZe now operating the recreation of KOZ zone and all the others before the NIZ was encripted!
George, Morganelli is running for Congress, not State Senate.
"anti public safety"
I'm voting for Morganelli, however, this is a ridiculous statement.
Bernie, all I know is to put a check by the name and cross party vote in that section.
republican redd
not a party favor
Have you ever fought a fire? Firsthand experience with the multitude of tasks that need be done in order to stop fire, save lives,put your safety down as collateral for others? Oh yes and mqintqin a level of fire protection for the rest of the 3rd larfest city in the state? No? Then get a clue
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