Paul Bass Photo
The named parties in Ricci v. DeStefano at Monday’s event.
The two named adversaries in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court joined forces at the Dixwell fire station, as Mayor John DeStefano snagged a potent Labor Day campaign endorsement.
The endorsement, by Local 825 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, took place Monday afternoon.
Standing right next to the mayor as the union backed his bid for a tenth two-year term was Frank Ricci, the lead plaintiff in a reverse-discrimination suit against DeStefano’s administration. That suit — over whether the mayor’s team should have tossed results of a promotional exam — sparked a nationwide debate over race and hiring. It led to a split Supreme Court decision that changed the rules by which governments are to weigh race in hiring. After seven years of divisive public wrangling, the DeStefano administration settled the case this July 28 by agreeing to pay the 20 plaintiffs and their lawyers more than $5 million.
Six weeks later, the fire union’s executive board, of which Ricci is a member, offered its politically significant endorsement to the mayor. It’s significant for reasons beyond the symbolism of the Ricci v. DeStefano case: Local 825 (and firefighters in general) are among the hardest-working unions in political campaigns. And the mayor has been at odds with municipal unions this year as he seeks health and pension givebacks. In fact, the firefighters’ contract expired on June 30; the two sides aren’t near a new one.
Ricci (at right with the mayor in the above photo), the local’s vice-president and treasurer, noted before the event began Monday that the local also endorsed DeStefano’s 2006 gubernatorial bid even though the lawsuit was unresolved at the time.
“As in anything in life,” Ricci said, “we have to judge somebody in the totality of their record.” He praised DeStefano for obtaining $4 million to upgrade the fire training academy, for maintaining equipment at national standards, for growing the city’s tax base at a time when other cities are shrinking.
Local 825 President James Kottage (at center in photo) repeated those points during the formal endorsement. He also signaled that his union is open to negotiating health and pension concessions.
“Yes, like any city, we are dealing with the financial meltdown and realities that future adjustments need to be made,” Kottage said. “Firefighters pay into their pensions and don’t receive social security, and we believe under Mayor John DeStefano’s experience to manage a large city that we will be able to make fair and equitable adjustments for roper health and pension benefits.”
“We’ve got to figure out a way to balance our budget and be fair to people” who do the city’s work, DeStefano echoed when his turn came to speak. Since only one reporter showed up to cover the event, he turned to address directly the dozen firefighters assembled behind him in front of Engine 4. “We know we’ve got some issues in front of us. Let’s find a way” to work them out.
Afterwards, Kottage said the two sides haven’t begun negotiating a new contract. No specific proposals for pension or health givebacks have been put on the table. The firefighters are currently working under the provisions of the old one.
The union has decided to “sit on the sidelines” as the city hammers out contentious talks with custodians (now in arbitration) and AFSCME Local 884, which represents clerical workers and police dispatchers.
“Being on the sidelines isn’t the worst place to be,” Kottage said.
“We’re willing to negotiate some adjustments. We understand the totality of the financial mess,” he said. “But we’re not going to solve the problems on the firefighters’ backs.”
Ricci confers with DeStefano campaign chief Danny Kedem before the endorsement.
Jeffrey Kerekes, one of three Democrats challenging DeStefano in the Sept. 13 primary, issued this statement following the endorsement:
“It is disappointing that the Fire Department Local 825 endorsed John DeStefano. It did so without asking one question, listening to one minute or making one phone call to me or the campaign. What value should be placed on an endorsement when the union, just like the mayor, refuses to listen to anyone and makes decisions in a vacuum? More importantly though, is our significant concern that once again, John DeStefano may have bought off union support with yet another contract for which he has neither the money or the track record of honoring.”