Ex-Medical Director Rips Firefighters

[CBEMT]

Harsh criticism was hurled Tuesday at the firefighters' union for trying to extinguish an investigation into the falsification of training records and actively working to defeat the re-election bids of three city councilors.

"I think it is terribly, terribly wrong that members of this council are being declared as being anti-public safety because they are asking the right questions and voicing the correct concerns," said Dr. John Sacra, who recently retired as the medical director of the Fire Department and the Emergency Medical Services Authority.

Sacra said he was "greatly concerned" when he read that the council's inquiry "was stopped dead in its tracks" when the union instructed its medics not to answer an investigative questionnaire from the city auditor.

Speaking at a council committee meeting, Sacra urged the council to complete its investigation.

Councilor Rick Westcott said the attack on councilors by the union "comes dangerously close to looking like a bad old black-and-white movie where the unions control city government."

"We better not go there, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "because if the unions control Tulsa, the city is dead."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.asp...A9_Harshc941593

Edited August 26, 2009 by CBEMT

[JakeEMTP]

Seriously? Just fill out the questionnaire. What are you trying to hide?

[spenac]

Easy solution. Refuse to answer and you are fired.

[JakeEMTP]

Easy solution. Refuse to answer and you are fired.

I agree. However, can you imagine the "stink" raised by the Union?

[Just Plain Ruff]

I agree. However, can you imagine the "stink" raised by the Union?

Screw the union, this is just another tactic in their vast array of stalling and delaying tactics.

I think unions are useful to a point but.....

Can't they get something like a contempt of court or like congress does "contempt of congress" but that is all over the place now. Even some of my most staunch democratic friends have a contempt towards congress.

Maybe after a while Congress will get into this debacle just like everything else they shouldn't be involved in.

Oh crap, I've been monologueing (sic).

[cosgrojo]

Once again, Unions do exactly the opposite of what they were intended to do when they were originally organized. The "good" Medics/FF's/EMT's are going to be lumped in together with the ones that didn't do what they were supposed to do to keep skills sharp and continue their education. Why is it that unions only pander to the lowest common denominator? Why protect the dead beats and laze-abouts? I would think that a Union would be better if it's members were thought of to be professional and proficient... not lazy, whiny pieces of poo. The union that I am forced to be in does the same thing. If you are an upstanding member who never gets in trouble, and keeps your nose clean, you never get represented when things are brought against you.

It is sad that your situation has to be "sexy" to the union for them to help you. I've read through the training book for union stewards for my union, and it clearly states that if a member comes to the steward with a complaint, the steward must either fix it under normal supervisor channels, or decide if it is a subject that the Union can "organize" around. If it is not sexy enough to "organize" around, then tough luck to the union employee with the problem. If mal-content employee "A" who has been on the brink of termination before gets in trouble again, defend him because it makes it look like we did the impossible. If above average employee "B" who rarely gets in trouble is dicked with by management and wants his problems looked into... tough luck, try being a worse employee, then we'll talk. Unions of today are reprehensible.

[JakeEMTP]

Screw the union, this is just another tactic in their vast array of stalling and delaying tactics.

I think unions are useful to a point but.....

I say screw the union also Ruff. Cos hit the nail square on the head with his assessment of today's unions. Protecting the lazy and inept is their mandate. There was a time when unions were necessary for all. Now, not so much.

Anyway, the "Union" debate has been discussed here ad nauseam.

The moral of the story is, answer the questionnaire ( it's not even a test as far as we know), and carry on. I will never understand the mentality of the membership of some dept.'s. The Brotherhood? I say Oh Brother!

[Dustdevil]

Wow... I really expected this to be from Chicago or Boston or Detroit, not Tulsa, Oklahoma!

The enemy is close.

[Richard B the EMT]

The enemy is close.

I thought it was

We have met the enemy, and he is us (Pogo)