Jane Blume Posts

T-Mobile is the latest technology and communications company to kick the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to the curb. T-Mobile follows in the footsteps of Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yelp in leaving the organization.

Not only can Florida's debate over workers’ pensions be traced back to ALEC, but the controversial organization can also be linked to efforts to prohibit local governments from implementing laws that extend to paid sick leave.

The Koch Brothers are rumored to have interest in the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Other Tribune assets the brothers have expressed interest in owning are 23 television stations and a national cable network WGN America.

Mitt Romney has proven he’s no friend to organized labor and fire fighters.
In a new video, the Transport Workers Union shares Romney’s plans for unions and workers.
And it is not good.
Watch the video as Romney says he supports national Right-to-Work laws and wants to end union contracts.
See other positions Romney has taken on issues that matter to fire fighters -- such as fire fighter jobs, pensions and tax reform at the Fire Fighters for Obama

Public support is growing for a Detroit, Michigan paramedic who was reportedly brought up on charges by his department for giving an elderly fire victim a blanket.
Detroit’s EMS chief says employees need prior approval before giving away EMS property. The blanket was reportedly donated by a fire fighters support service group.
Detroit city officials describe the story as blatantl...

Throughout the International Association of Fire Fighters' 94-year history, it has made charitable efforts a cornerstone of its mission.
The IAFF Charitable Foundation supports IAFF members and their families in their time of need, promotes fire and burn prevention, advocates for fire fighter health and safety, and provides public education on how to prevent and recover from burn trauma. Fire fighters and paramedics work long shifts, put their lives on the line, and answer calls for all kinds of emergencies, and it is the IAFF’s job to protect and defend these brave men and wom...

In The Public Interest, a comprehensive resource center on privatization and responsible contracting, has released a report exposing the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) extensive plans to privatize core public functions.

The report chronicles ALEC’s plan to privatize virtual schools, health programs and prisons.  The report also shows how corporations gain access to lawmakers in order to move their agenda forward.

In previous weeks, ALEC had been quiet thanks to negative publicity it has received because of its operating structure. Last week, it was confirmed that ALEC had plans to hold a closed-door meeting with the Republican Study Committee (RSC) in Washington, DC in hopes of establishing a new partnership.

The group is making headlines again with its model legislation tied to harmful voter suppression efforts in Pennsylvania, Ohio and across the South.

ALEC is a politically ultra-conservative, non-profit organization that sponsors private meetings allowing state lawmakers and corporate executives to frame legislation that is later introduced in state houses across the country. The laws tilt in the favor of big business. ALEC has pushed legislation that has been harmful to fire fighter rights to collectively bargain and proposed other anti-union policies.

In 2011 and 2012, ALEC model bills sought to privatize public services in states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

The shadowy organization known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been quiet in recent weeks and we now know why.

Roll Call reports that ALEC has been quietly laying the groundwork for establishing a new partnership with the Republican Study Committee (RSC). The newspaper reports that a meeting will be held next week in Washington, DC at the Heritage Foundation.

The meeting promises to develop an ongoing relationship between ALEC and the RSC that would allow federal lawmakers to exchange ideas with state legislators.

This comes at a time when several major corporations have dumped ALEC since its operating structure has been publicly scrutinized after the controversial Stand Your Ground Laws put a spotlight on the group.

Roll Call reports at least 18 state representatives and six U.S. House representatives are planning to attend. The meeting is for lawmakers only and it has been reported that ALEC’s corporate sponsors won’t attend.

ALEC has pushed legislation across statehouses that have been harmful to fire fighter rights to collectively bargain and proposed other anti-union policies.

ALEC is registered as a public charity, but other organizations assert that it is too entrenched in lobbying efforts and that it shouldn’t be considered as a 501 (c)(3) classification which allows it to keep its tax-exempt status while accepting grants from foundations, corporations and other donors.

In August, General Electric, Western Union, Sprint Nextel, Symantec and Reckitt Benckiser announced they would no longer keep their membership in ALEC.

They join a long list of corporate sponsors who have broken ties with the organization:

Amgen, General Motors, Walgreens, Hewlett-Packard, CVS Caremark, Deere & Co., Miller, Coors, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kaplan, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mars, Inc., Intuit, Proctor & Gamble, Reed Elsevier, America Traffic Solutions, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Amgen Inc. , Entergy Corporation, Arizona Public Services and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

As tropical storm Isaac has delayed the start of the Republican National Convention, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) has produced a fact sheet detailing Governor Mitt Romney’s public safety record in the state.

During his time as governor, Romney never met with the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts to discuss important issues. He is the only governor who never met with  fire fighters in the state.

Massachusetts fire fighters say the Romney they knew doubled EMT licensing fees, proposed a biennial fee on first responders for the ability to use flashing red and blue lights and approved increasing other fees for the civil service exam.

As governor, Romney promoted regulations to privatize ambulance services. He also cut collective bargaining and civil service benefits for Springfield fire fighters as part of a budget bailout.

Check out the fact sheet the PFFM has produced about the Romney they know – the Romney who did not make life better for fire fighters and other public employees and who wants to take his platform nationwide.

Read more about Romney’s bitter history with fire fighters.

The path of tropical storm Issac remains unpredictable as forecasters expect for it to remain below hurricane level this weekend.

The Florida Keys remains in direct target of the storm and forecasters predict Issac could reach hurricane strength by Tuesday, affecting the Tampa area.

As a first responder, IAFF members take care of others during emergencies, but the IAFF wants to make sure they are prepared for what’s to come.

The IAFF Department of Fire and EMS Operations/GIS has developed an online incident awareness tool that provides real-time information related to natural disasters and hazards, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wild land fires or earthquakes.

Users can see the location and determine the scope of tropical storm Issac as it moves through the Caribbean and edges towards the states off the Gulf Coast.

The incident map is updated throughout a 24-hour span and can be found on the IAFF web site. The information used for the incident map uses the IAFF WebGIS server in conjunction with the ESRI ArcGIS Online system and data is aggregated into one mapping system.

You can pan and zoom on the incident map to help track the storm on most laptops, desktop computers and mobile devices.

For an update on the wildfires in states like California and Washington, this online resource will help you track the perimeter of the fire as it nears your location.

Local officers, district vice presidents and IAFF leadership can access more complex maps for specific incidents that may affect the IAFF membership using data collected by the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The IAFF Department of Fire and EMS Operations Department has also compiled other resources to help you prepare for a weather related disaster.

You can also review this Hurricane Safety Checklist

And here are some other IAFF Resources

How to Donate to IAFF Disaster Relief Fund

Disaster Relief Assistance Form

Disaster Relief Frequently Asked Questions

CISM Team Availability Form

IAFF members are on the Muscular Dystrophy Association's frontline in the battle against 40 neuromuscular diseases affecting more than one million Americans. Standing together, professional fire fighters continue the 50-plus year tradition of hope and caring.

The MDA’s “Show of Strength,” a new three hour prime time entertainment special, will air Sunday, September 2 on more than 150 “Love Network” stations nationwide.

The IAFF segments will run at 8:10 PM EDT; 9:07 PM EDT; 10:30 PM EDT; and 10:54 PM EDT.

Music superstars such as Carrie Underwood, Pitbull, Will.i.am and Carole King will headline the music special starting at 8:00 pm EST.

The IAFF is the largest national supporter of the MDA and IAFF members have donated nearly $450 million since 1954.

Please support the telethon this Labor Day and help the MDA find a cure for neuromuscular disease.

NASA first responders -- who protect the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- are at odds with security giant G4S, which is demanding that fire fighters, paramedics and inspectors take a 20 percent cut in wages and retirement benefits.

They live on separate continents, but one event will join them.

Australian fire fighter Paul Ritchie and New York City fire fighter Liam Flaherty (pictured left) will join forces this weekend on the Tour of Duty Ride.

It’s a 2,600-mile cycling journey that will begin this Sunday at the USS Midway in San Diego and will end September 10 at the USS Intrepid in New York City.

Twenty-four fire fighters, police officers and other supporters all are planning to participate in the 30-day ride as a way to acknowledge and pay respect to first responders and military members who serve and protect their communities daily.
“This is a good will event that brings solidarity, unions and friendship together and helps us to acknowledge the great work first responders are doing,” Ritchie says.

Two years ago, Australian and American first responders partnered for the Tour of Duty Relay Run that took them to 20 states in 30 days. The relay run is a way for participants to remember the sacrifices of emergency personnel and members of the military who responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Local 854 member Liam Flaherty, a 22-year veteran and captain of Rescue 2 in Brooklyn, New York, says the 2010 run was a cathartic experience because it allowed him to say thank you to all the people who traveled to New York to help in the aftermath of September 11.

Flaherty organized his colleagues in New York into surveillance units to help search for victims of the terrorist attack as a way to bring closure to families.

“We got to hug people and shake hands and say thank you,” Flaherty says. “It was a worthwhile experience.”
This time around, these first responders won’t be running; they’ll be cycling across the United States.

They hope the cycling experience will be less physically grueling, but in any case both Ritchie and Flaherty have been trying to get into shape.

The cycling trip will take them to cities including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Denver, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, Memphis, Baltimore, Washington, DC and, ultimately, New York City.
Ritchie is a huge baseball fan and hopes to see inside Wrigley Field on his stop in Chicago.

Cannondale is sponsoring the bikes for the cycling adventure. The cyclists will ride for eight hours each day (with most of the riding being done in the morning and early afternoon) and will stay in hotels. They hope to have an opportunity to meet other first responders and military members to share stories, have a drink and say thank you for serving.

Flaherty, who is chair and drum major of the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, says cyclists will pay their respects at the World Trade Center.

The cycling journey will be documented and we’ll keep you posted on the Tour of Duty Ride.

More
Tour of Duty Ride in the press

Another corporation has announced it is ending its membership in the shadowy lobbying organization, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Amgen, a California-based pharmaceutical company is the 31st company to drop its membership. Amgen is the world’s largest independent biotechnology firm in the world.

This has been a long, hot summer for ALEC, which has seen its corporate sponsors leave in droves since its operating structure has been scrutinized.

Amgen follows the lead of Hewlett-Packard, CVS Caremark, Deere & Co., Miller, Coors, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kaplan, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mars, Inc., Intuit, Proctor & Gamble, Reed Elsevier, America Traffic Solutions, Arizona Public Services and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in leaving ALEC this summer.

You can go to the Center for Media and Democracy web site to see who is retaining its membership in ALEC.

Founded in 1973, ALEC supports free market principles and courts financial support from various foundations, including those controlled by the billionaire Koch Brothers.

ALEC is registered as a public charity, but other organizations assert that it is too entrenched in lobbying efforts and that it shouldn’t be considered as a 501 (c)(3) classification which allows it to keep its tax-exempt status while accepting grants from foundations, corporations and other donors.

The AFL-CIO posted a good blog recently about how to get better media coverage for your union if you live in a small town media market.

Berry Craig, recording secretary of Paducah-based Western Kentucky AFL-CIO Area Council and a professor of history at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, gives at least six tips for getting your union news in the news.

The first step is to establish a relationship with your local media. Help them put a face to your union and find some “common ground” with the news reporter covering you.

Second, know how to make news. If your local has elected new board members or if you have an event that you need to publicize let your local media know. Email your photos to news editors and follow up with reporters to make sure they’ve received your information to help with coverage.

Fire fighters are involved in many wonderful, worthwhile civic activities like raising money for Muscular Dystrophy and breast cancer awareness. Fire fighters don’t like to brag about what they do for others. But, in some cases you have to let others know what you do and it can make for positive news coverage.

Lastly know how to humanize your union news. Members make the best stories, so if you know of a member with a unique life story or hobby – don’t be afraid to share it with your local media.

When Scranton, Pennsylvania Mayor Chris Doherty slashed fire fighter pay to minimum wage the public outcry was deafening.

Some fire fighters qualified for food stamps while others worried how they would pay their mortgage.

Some fire fighters watch their teenaged children earn more money working part-time summer jobs.

Millions of Americans never thought they would live to see the day that they wouldn’t be able to support their families. It’s a painful reality that’s happening in this country every day.

The minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009. The increase three years ago was the first federal increase in over a decade. The cost of living – food, clothes, utilities and mortgages have all risen over that time and Americans have struggled to keep pace paying their bills.

Outgoing Virginia Senator Jim Webb is co-sponsoring a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $9.80 over the next two years.

As Wall Street and banks still earn better-than-expected profits, middle class Americans are still left scrambling to make ends meet.

Elected officials need to be held accountable for keeping the promises they made to help working people and keep the American dream alive.

America can’t be strong without strong workers. Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty found out the hard way that public workers deserve respect.

After receiving negative attention worldwide, the City was legally required to reimburse fire fighters and other public sector workers. In addition, workers will receive a 6 percent interest on wages lost.

Eastpointe, MI Local 1561 member Scott Walsh will be featured on “Brotherhood Outdoors” this Thursday (8/2).

The show will air on the Sportsman Channel at 8:00 p.m. (EST)

Walsh adopted a rescued bird dog named “Houdini” who made more members of his family want to hunt.

He tells the Union Sportsman Alliance (USA), “Houdini actually got our whole family into hunting. My brother-in-law, my nephews, both me and my wife…even my sister wants to buy a shotgun now,”says Walsh. “It’s just brought everybody together over this dog.”

Union Sportsmen Alliance puts the spotlight on union members and is committed to bringing union sports men and women together to help preserve hunting, fishing and wildlife habitat throughout North America. Brotherhood Outdoors is sponsored by the Alliance.

The IAFF 2012 Convention is over, and the IAFF enjoyed meeting the more than 2,000 delegates who made decisions that will help shape the direction of this great union and how it represents and protects our members.

Here’s a quick guide for some of your post-Convention questions.

Opening ceremony videos

Video of the Opening Ceremony will be available soon – contact Darlene Watkins at dwatkins@iaff.org to reserve your copy.

View our Storify pages to watch highlights from before and during the Opening Ceremony.
http://storify.com/IAFFNEWSDESK/iaff-2012-convention-philadelphia-pa
http://storify.com/IAFFNEWSDESK/2012-opening-ceremony

For Convention videos, please visit IAFF-TV for links to General President Harold Schaitberger’s State of the Union address, President Obama’s call to IAFF delegates and Vice President Biden’s speech to IAFF members.

You can also read Convention coverage at these links:

Obama: ‘We Are Going to Keep Fighting for What Matters to You’

51st Convention web page

For Convention photos see our Flickr galleries:
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAsNudh
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjASdb6Q
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjATekyj
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjATqFTf
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAV8SJS
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAV942Y

We also have photo galleries for rallies in Philadelphia and Scranton:

Thousands Rally at City Hall in Support of Local 22

And you can read information on the IAFF District Vice President elections.

We are just two days away from the IAFF 51st Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! We thank our Philadelphia Local 22 for hosting this year’s Convention and for working so hard to make it memorable.

The Convention will unite more than 2,000 delegates as they help decide the course of the IAFF for the next several years.

This year’s Convention theme – “Fighting Back for a Stronger Union” – is appropriate when we look at the attacks our affiliates are facing. These are truly troubling times. We all need to fight back and stay strong.

The IAFF urges members to review the resolutions that delegates will consider at the Convention.

The Opening Ceremony will kick off Monday, July 23 at 9:00 a.m.

In addition, the IAFF will welcome American Idol finalist and country music star Bucky Covington in the IAFF Charitable Foundation booth and NASCAR driver Jeremy Clements and the #51 NASCAR nationwide series car in the IAFF Financial Corporation booth.

The IAFF Communications and Media Department is also sponsoring a daily chat during Convention, so delegates should be sure to stop by the booth.

For Convention news, updates and coverage, go to www.iaffconvention2012.com and follow the IAFF on Facebook and Twitter.

A flag debate in Seminole, Florida, has ended after the fire chief announced fire vehicles will be flying American flags by the end of the week.

Fire Chief George Bessler told a Tampa publication that he received dozens of calls and emails from the around the country after a flag dispute went viral on Facebook.

Seminole fire fighters were at odds with a resident(s) over how flags are placed on fire trucks.

The flags weren’t placed in the manner set forth in the Flag Code, which states it should be "fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender."

A resident complained about the improper display and city administrators ordered the flags removed.

Fire fighters removed the flags, until someone recently placed a flag back on a fire vehicle. The resident complained again.

Someone described the situation on Facebook and it was reposted. As word spread through the social network, supporters of fire fighters decided to gather over the weekend, waving flags for an hour near a local fire station.

The fire chief says he’s glad fire fighters are being supported by the community on the issue and that the community is hearing about how to properly respect the flag, and that people are raising concerns.