| Some black New Haven firefighters consider seceding from union | ||
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| NEW HAVEN — Some African-American members of the New Haven Firebird Society, a fraternity of minority firefighters, want to secede from Local 825, an AFL-CIO affiliate, in the wake of two promotional exams that left a rift among black, white and Hispanic colleagues. Scoring results indicated that about 15 whites, two Hispanics and no African Americans would have advanced to captain or lieutenant. The Civil Service Commission did not certify the test and a group of about 18 white firefighters plan to sue the city. Only a third of the union members voted to sue the city and black firefighters have vowed to sue the union, saying it should remain neutral and should not use resources contributed by members who oppose such a lawsuit. A Hispanic firefighter in the group that wants to sue the city claims he was the victim of a racially motivated attack recently in a restaurant, a black firefighter says dirty gloves were left in his boots and a racially offensive memo was posted at fire stations. Scot X. Esdaile, president of the NAACP New Haven branch, plans to invite labor and civil rights leaders to help mediate the strife before black firefighters leave the bargaining unit. "We’re hoping it doesn’t get to that point," said Esdaile, who wants to bring in national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and AFSCME International Secretary William "Bill" Lucy, who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Memphis sanitation workers strike before King’s assassination. Firebird Society President Wayne Ricks said if blacks withdraw from Local 825 it would not be to form a new union. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor said municipal police and fire departments in Connecticut may have only one bargaining unit. Two black firefighters who did not want to publicize their names said pulling out of the union would lessen, even if by a small amount, dues revenue that could be used for litigation they oppose. "You have people taking money from these African-American firefighters to sue the city against their will," Esdaile said.
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| İNew Haven Register 2004 |