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Members
of the Local,
I want to thank
everyone for their support and confidence in the prior election.
I wish to pledge to the membership my commitment to protect the rights
of my brothers and sisters, keep the local financially strong, and guide
the individual chapters toward strengthening their member's representation
in their departments. I am also going to move our local into the
21st century with utilizing modern technology as a conduit
to better communication within our organization.
I
have been a student of the union concepts of protecting our rights and
building a strong union for years. I started as a union member in 1979
in the building trades as a tile setter and stone mason. Through the years
I have held numerous positions on both sides of the negotiating table.
When I became a Firefighter, I had to learn exactly what the IAFF was
and how they did business.
I can honestly say they have the best approach of any collective bargaining
group. I will be sharing this insight with your Chapter presidents
and together we can all start achieving our goals.
I
am hoping the membership will become excited again about coming to meetings
and participating in the democratic process. I will be open to suggestions
and will try to attend any Chapter meeting I am invited to. This
union is what we make it, no more or less. There is no one to do
it for us, we must get involved.
I
consider myself the middle man in your relationship with the IAFF and
the PFFA. They have the guidebook and the resources for the challenges
ahead but we have to do the labor to protect our families, communities,
and our livelihood. The recent United Auto Workers struggle is a
testament of a union's ability to become involved in their own destiny.
Their members not only supported the union but put their careers and families
livelihood in jeopardy to be able to provide a better living for themselves
and others.
All
I am asking is that we come together and get involved to help ourselves
and by this we will make our union stronger and something to be proud
of. It means more than just a sticker, you should expect and deserve
more of me and your elected representatives, but for us to do our jobs
we need all the members' help. Every union member should know what
the union does for them and how to help, or we as the leadership are not
doing our jobs. I will promise to get the information out there
but it's up to everyone to access it and be aware of the issues.
A
lot of people have worked hard in the past to get where we are and they
deserve our commitment to the greater good of our brother and sister firefighters.
I will not always tell you what you want to hear, but I will be objective,
impartial, and honest.
Thank
you,
Tom
Haney
President of
the Local 3066
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