When ODL Looks the Other Way
Our Dear Leader (ODL)
A previous post here discussed the IAFF Executive Board fourth district race and how General President Schaitberger, a.k.a., Our Dear Leader (ODL) was perhaps laying the groundwork for a surprise pre-convention election. In that scenario, Bill Taylor would step down early, allowing for a snail mail election with rules set by ODL.
Is it a given these days that the fourth district, or any district, for that matter, no longer chooses their vice-president, but rather they are chosen for them by ODL?
ODL is not interested in specific district matters or building a board for the future; he is interested in “yes” votes on the executive board so that he can do as he wishes.
ODL currently wields absolute power and “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Ironically, it is the board who should control him but he owns them.
There are or have been (at least) four qualified candidates for the fourth district seat which ODL has summarily dismissed in favor of one with some very shaky credentials.
Here they are:
Art Martynuska
Mike Mohler
John Neimeic
Andy Pantelis
Two-Hatting in the Fourth District
IAFF members volunteering in jurisdictions with either IAFF locals or a call volume where there should be either a local or more firefighters and paramedics is a persistent and serious problem.
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware and especially Maryland are affected.
These “two-hatters” make life unbearable for brother and sister firefighters by sabotaging their attempts to create safe staffing protections and decent pay and benefits.
Two-hatting is all the worse when these off-duty IAFF members assume leadership positions in those fire departments and then “lord it over” fellow union members or take actions that materially weaken job protections, pay and safety.
Every time they do, they cross a silent picket line becoming a scab in fact if not in name.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero for “two-hatting” offenders is Washington, DC, IAFF Local-36, led by Ed Smith, ODL’s anointed choice for the fourth district board seat.
And Ed Smith is the ultimate “two-hatter” in a jurisdiction with an IAFF local, Prince George’s County, Maryland.
For 18 years (1992-2010) he was two-hatting in Prince George’s County where he rose to the rank of Volunteer Deputy Fire Chief of the notorious Kentland VFD.
In 2009, Smith was inducted into the Prince George’s County Volunteer Hall of Fame and is a life member of the Kentland Volunteers.
In 2008, Kentland volunteers even named a pumper after Smith in recognition of his service.
During this period, IAFF members (predominantly Local 36) back-filled positions as volunteers in various Prince George’s fire companies, including Kentland, while IAFF Local 1619 members were furloughed for 20 days.
So much for union solidarity.
But, That Was Then
The Ed Smith Engine
That’s what ODL will say.
That may work for him but it shouldn’t work for us.
The reason it shouldn’t work is that two-hatting by Local 36 members is a serious problem in the fourth district to this day.
How serious?
Here’s just the list of volunteer chief positions in Local 1619′s area currently filled by DC Local 36 members:
Deputy Chief – Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Chief – Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Branchville Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Fire Chief – Branchville Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Boulevard Heights Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Chief – Glenn Dale Volunteer Fire Association
Deputy Chief – Bowie Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Chief – Bowie Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Marlboro Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Chief – Oxon Hill Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Accokeek Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Clinton Volunteer Fire Department
Assistant Chief – Clinton Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Morningside Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Chief – Silver Hill Volunteer Fire Department
Deputy Chief – Beltsville Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Kentland Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Chapel Oaks Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Chief – Chapel Oaks Volunteer Fire Department
As I said, this is just the chiefs–forget the “braves”–that list is much too long to include.
Ed Smith has more volunteers under him now than he ever did at Kentland.
And, this is all OK with both ODL and Ed who aren’t doing a damn thing about it.
ODL’s World
If Our Dear Leader really gets to “hand pick” the IAFF executive board is this the best he can do?
Is Ed Smith his idea of a leader for the fourth district?
If so, it speaks volumes about Harold Schaitberger and how he is now fixated more than ever on retaining iron-fisted control rather than building a strong IAFF for the challenges which surely lie ahead.
Union members in the fourth should elect a district vice-president who doesn’t actively or passively support scabbing.
We can do much better than that.
And we should.
[A brief note at 10pm on February 25th. It's heartwarming to see that General President Schaitberger as so many staunch defenders in the volunteer ranks.]
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