Town Attempts to Divide
Union Leaders and Membership
Text and photos BY TRACEY C O’Connor
 |
| Raymond Furtado, IAFF NKFFA Local 1651 President |
North Kingstown - In yet another attempt
by the Town of North Kingstown to separate its firefighters from their union
leadership, Town Manager Michael Embury, in a recent letter to the Standard
Times made self-proclaimed unfounded accusations against union leaders further
defining the divide between the municipality and its first responders.
The letter from Embury – seemingly in response to a Rotarian
award protested by the firefighters’ families – started in defense of Chief
Fenwick Gardiner and quickly deteriorated into a political battle against the
union membership, its leadership and consequently, the families Embury
professed to hold in high regard.
Town accuses Union of ordered
insubordination
Attacking the Union leadership for self-proclaimed unfounded “do
not answer your phones” orders, Embury added to the bizarre litany of rumor on which the Town has
made its case against the firefighters.
“Members have been instructed to not answer their phones when
called by the chief or deputy chief to fill vacancies or provide relief,” said
Embury. “Of course this is not in writing to provide plausible deniability, but
it is a well-known fact.”
When asked about the well-known fact and consequential
plausibility of his ordering North Kingstown firefighters to ignore the calls
of their superiors, Raymond Furtado,IAFF NKFFA Local 1651 President,
spoke candidly.
“To say that I would order my men not to answer their phones for a call to duty – to take an overtime shift and earn a possible $400 in overtime – to care for and feed their families, is ridiculous.”
Click
here to see the rest of Tracey’s article…