POLICE AND FIREMEN JOIN
A.F. OF L.
Feeling of Insecurity Prompts Action Members Say
By C. R.
SUMNER
The alchemy of political strife
produced some strange by-products and one of the strangest has just occurred in
the ranks of the police and fire department here.
The development that was buzzing in
political circles yesterday was the fact that both departments have been
unionized—that is, the members to a man have signed up with a union, an
affiliate of the American Federation of Labor.
The members of the fire department, it
was learned, have received their charter as a full-fledged local in the
International Firefighters Association, with the department enrolled one
hundred per cent.
The police, it was learned, have signed
up one hundred per cent and are applying for a charter as a local in the State,
County and Municipal Employees Association.
Behind these two developments lies an
interesting story, a story that has been developing slowly over a period of
several months. For obvious reasons, the
spokesmen who tell the story must remain anonymous for the present. But the facts are there for all who care to
examine them.
Some months ago, members of the fire
department became concerned they say, over certain working conditions to which
they were subjected.
They sought to take these up with J.
Weldon Weir, Director of Public Safety, in an effort to have them
remedied. In each incident, they
reported, they were blocked from reaching Mr. Weir’s ear.
Finally in successive attempts, they
sent emissaries to Mr. Weir seeking a hearing on their grievances. In each instance the answer came back, not
direct from Mr. Weir, but through Chief of police Dermid: “Sorry boys, just
keep your shirts on, there’s nothing we can do.”
The firemen had no means of knowing
whether or not their complaints ever reached the ear of the city manager, or of
the city council. All they knew was that
their attempts were frustrated time and again as they sought relief.
Then came the “pep meeting” around May
2 when the “bee was put on them” for contributions to the Weldon Weir campaign
fund to be used in the county primary election.
They were assembled and told by none
other than Mr. Weir himself that they must come across with amounts ranging
from $15 to $30 depending upon rank and salary.
A similar “pep meeting” was held with
the police department members being invited by Chief of Police C. W. Dermid to
come through with currency of the realm for the Weir faction war chest.
Last Straws
Those two money raising parties were
but the last straws in a long series of events which led to unrest among
members of the departments.
They did not initiate the unionization
move in the fire or police departments, for that, at least in the fire
department it started some months ago, but they did through resentment aroused,
particularly in the fire department, bring matters to a swift and one hundred
per cent culmination.
Members of both departments, talking to
this reporter yesterday, frankly admitted that they were loath to take the
steps, but felt, in view of the developments, that it was a matter of security
and protection.
Spokesman for the police department
made it plain that they were not dissatisfied with their working conditions
which they described as ideal. They said
they were looking to the future.
Spokesmen for the fire department were
just as frank in saying that their failure to get better working conditions
after repeated attempts was the chief motivations in the action they took.
For the information of those who still
may be curious, the money “requested” of the police department under threat of
“turning in their suits” was supplied in part.
The money similarly “requested” of the fire department, was not turned
into Mr. Weir’s faction.
But, nevertheless, Mr. Weir’s faction
is operating an elaborate headquarters in the legal building and is well
financed. Mr. Weir appears to have lots
of support, but that is another story.
Article
in Archives of