Firefighters union puts politics over honoring 9/11 firefighters

In Racine, Wisconsin (my original home town), the local firefighters’ union is turning its back on a July 4th float honoring 9/11 firefighters because the firefighter behind the float doesn’t support the union’s politics.

Via Charlie Sykes:

Firefighters union throws cold water on 9-11 float

These days, almost anything can get caught in the blender of Wisconsin's union politics.

It can even happen to a Fourth of July parade float honoring firefighters and cops killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

…The same float - a re-enactment of the famous photo of three firefighters raising the American flag amid the rubble of the World Trade Center - created a rush of emotions as it passed through three parade routes in Milwaukee County back in 2002. Crowds spontaneously rose to their feet, offering thunderous applause.

With the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks coming up later this year, (Milwaukee-area fire lieutenant Matt) Gorniak and his church's youth group decided to revive the float in Racine's upcoming Independence Day parade, one of the biggest in the area.

Unexpectedly, the request set off a debate among the leaders of the Racine firefighters union.

The problem: Gorniak had recently invoked a little-used provision in his union contract and opted out of membership in the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin.

Please note: Gorniak does pay union dues. He took advantage of Wisconsin’s “fair share” law that allows union members to pay their share of the union’s representative costs, but to not pay for their political activities. Just a little something we like to call “free speech” in these parts.

But:

Members of the executive board of the Racine firefighters union ultimately decided not to support or march with his float.

.. Gorniak said Ford, the union president, was on board initially.

"I think he would have hugged me at first," Gorniak said of Ford. The two even agreed to bring in a New York City Fire Department firefighter to march in the parade, with Racine picking up the cost. Gorniak continued, "I was beside myself with joy."

All of that changed a few days later.

"Craig said, 'I've got a question for you: Are you fair share?'" Gorniak said. "I said, 'What does that have to do with anything?' "

This is an Independence Day parade float, honoring firefighters (and police) who died on 9/11. But, sorry Lt. Gorniak: you don’t support the union’s politics? We won’t support your float.

You may think I’m going to berate the union for that. Nope. I’m all for them showing Wisconsin exactly what they stand for, and this is a perfect example.

By the way, Gorniak says the float will be in both the Racine and Oak Creek Fourth of July parades, whether or not other firefighters join in. Good for him.