Tribal firefighters 'commit' to union effort

By Brian Hallenbeck
TheDay.com Published on 11/20/2008

Mashantuckets— Members of the Mashantucket Pequot Fire Department, which provides fire protection for the tribe-owned Foxwoods Resort Casino, have begun a process that could lead to union affiliation.

The department's paid firefighters, concerned about staffing, job descriptions and scheduling, filled out “commitment cards” last week, indicating their interest in joining the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, sources with knowledge of department issues said this week. The sources requested anonymity, saying word of the interest in unionizing had already prompted retaliation from management.

It could not be determined Wednesday whether the UPFFA had received the commitment cards. Once it does, presumably, it will seek to arrange an official vote among the firefighters.

About 85 percent of those who filled out the cards indicated they support the move to unionize, one of the sources said.

The firefighters would be the latest of several groups that work for the tribe to pursue union affiliation. Table-game and poker dealers at Foxwoods voted a year ago to affiliate with the United Auto Workers. The tribe and UAW at Foxwoods agreed last month to negotiate a contract. Tribal reaction to word of the latest union bid could not be obtained Wednesday.

”I can't confirm that an organizing drive is under way within the fire department,” Bruce MacDonald, a tribal spokesman, said.

According to one of the sources, the department's roster includes 25 firefighters who man four shifts, each of which is headed by a captain. Several positions are open, including that of former Chief Roger Sylvestre, who was let go during a recent round of layoffs, the source said.

While the department used to have eight men on a shift, it's now down to five, the source said, adding, “that's not safe for those of us working, residents or guests (of Foxwoods).”

Firefighters met for months with the tribe's human resources representatives in an effort to have their concerns addressed, the source said, but to no avail.

”Our original goal was to not make this a mess,” the source said. “Tribal law allows for unions to exist and that's the way we want to go.”