Thursday, February 14, 2019

39 years.......Brotherhood of the Barrel

Today is the 39th anniversary of the day the Chicago firemen walked out on strike. 
My dad wrote this 9years ago.

Brotherhood of the Barrel Feb. 14, 1980 Chicago Firemen go on strike 
30 years ago today I went on strike along with 98% of the department against the City of Chicago. Most strikes happen for many reasons and not just for money. This strike happen because the city for many years treated us with contempt.
The city was not replacing the firefighters that retired , resigned or died. My company like most ran with 3 men, one to drive, and two firemen. The national standard at that time recommended 6 men. When I first came on the job we had 6 men. One engineer, one officer and four firemen. The engine would run with a man acting as the officer (He was responsible for anything that happen that day but was not paid extra for this) A man would act as the engineer and not get paid for it. After the strike the city promoted over twenty-five percent of the department that is how many vacancies they had.
The equipment was old and often broke down. The rule book required each company to test their hose twice a year, we did not because the hose would often break testing it and they had no hose to replace it with. The hose was years old and on two occasions I was in a building with a line on the fire and the hose broke making myself and the man next to me scramble to get out of the building because we no longer had the water to protect ourselves as any fireman would tell you.
The National Fire Standard recommend a pumper be replaced when they are 10 years old, only to be
used as as spare if needed. My company Engine 101 was using a 1956 engine until 1978. It was 22 years old before the city replaced it. The downtown companies where the rich folks worked and lived got new rigs almost every year, but out where fires happen more often and the poor people lived they got newer one's every 20 years.
If they wanted they would have you work your day off and not pay you for it, saying you don't have a contract so we don't have to pay you. If you were at a large fire and they wanted you to stay even when your relief came they would just tell you not to go home, keeping you for hours. That year we had a storm that dropped a huge amount of snow and I was kept on duty for 5 straight days. I worked 72 additional hours during that time without additional pay. Now the city had almost every department working longer hours, water department, garbage men, electricians, plumbers, you name it we all worked long hours, but because we did not have a contract the fire and policemen who were required to work were not paid for it, everyone else was paid overtime.
Firefighters in most every major city around the world had the use of air masks for years, but not Chicago. I had a chief who told us that you could be killed wearing them, because by having one you would go too far into a building and if you ran out of air you could not get out in time. We on the other hand would only enter a building as far as our lungs would allow us, suck up that smoke and if you could not breathe any more you did not have far to go to get out. He later became second in command of the department. The reason we did not have them was they cost money, more money then a few dead firemen or sick men with lung cancer. But to buy all the equipment and maintain it would cost big money. Chicago did not get them until after the strike and the US government gave Chicago the money to buy them.
Chicago gave us a small amount of money for our personal fire gear and uniform . They had inspection twice a year and some chiefs would see a small tear on your fire coat and tell you to get a new one, boots looked old get new ones. After the strike, the city open a clothing store and they were required to replace the worn out items, no more inspections, your fire coat could have a hundred holes and now since they had to pay, forget it.
In the history of Chicago they have never had money for teachers, police or firemen. They have always had money for the aldermen and Mayors to get there raises
That strike lasted 23 days, the people who cross the lines and went to work or joined the department during that strike were taken care of by the city. But I have not met one that has told me he or she was proud that they did.
I was on strike for 23 days and that is one thing I am most proud of my time as a Chicago firefighter. My father told me that was a good thing that we did.

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/14/2019

    During the fire strike we were assigned to watch 2 firehouses. One was at Lake and Waller (i think it was Waller) and one at 2323 Natchez. I was relatively new on the job and hadn't really taken a position about the strike. All I remember was being on midnights and it was cold. My partner on the other hand was a Frank Muscari cheerleader, saying he wished CPD had the balls to take a walk like the firemen did. He gave the fireman at the fire barrel a big pep talk and then we took the squad car to the rear of the firehouse. About an hour later, I went into the house to use the washroom. While in the washroom, all the lights in the house went out. We soon found out that the fireman out front of the house had ripped the electric meter from the side of the house while we were supposed to be watching it. The watch commander and street deputy arrived on the scene and ripped us a new one and we later accepted suspension for not paying attention to the fireman. Needless to say it was a lesson learned. I called my partner every name in the book for cheering the fireman on, who made the two of us look like assholes. My understanding was that the fireman hired during the strike were forevermore treated and called scabs. It was long ago, but it took a long time for me to re-establish my respect for firemen. Whatever the reasons for the strike, the fact of the matter is the city was left unprotected and most coppers attributed the strike to the conflicting egos between Mayor Byrne who said the fireman weren't ready for a contract and Frank Muscare who called for the strike. In any event, most coppers just about canonized Byrne for sainthood because the police got their contract before the firemen did. I told anyone who'd listen that Byrne gave us a contract, not because we did or didn't deserve it, but rather because she wanted to rub the fireman's face in it. So even then, we were used as pawns by the mayor. So nearly 40 years later, what's changed?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2/14/2019

    I lived near 78th an Knox. Came home to find the Bedford Park FD had broken out my windows because someone called in a fire report.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2/15/2019

    Privatize cfd. Don't need 5 guys to watch tv

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2/15/2019

      Most are severely hungover.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous2/15/2019

    the truth is that we probably dont need half the firefighters we are paying an unbelievable sum of money with every possible contract loophole negotiated to their benefit. They have the biggest homes in most neighborhoods, the biggest cars, and many have a second job. Many of them go years without ever fighting a fire. The system is outdated. At least the police go out every day and patrol....putting them potentially in harms way constantly. P.S. not a cop and not a cpd and not employed by any government. Just a citizen who works in the private sector (like the MAJORITY of 19th Warders).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2/15/2019

      Frankly, I think we should do away with all of them and go back to volunteers. It worked way back and it will work now.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2/17/2019

      don't be a hater

      Delete
  5. Anonymous2/15/2019

    And that was the end of the comradere on the Chicago Fire Department to this day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2/16/2019

    We need 5 guys. No card games?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2/17/2019

      Need help with the chilli.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2/17/2019

      Need 5 guys. 1 cook and 4 watching Chicago fire and arguing that it not real. Hero style baby

      Delete
  7. Anonymous2/17/2019

    Fact: There are 1/2 the fires in Chicago today as in 1967 due to smoke detectors and alarm systems.

    I agree you need 5 men but do you need as many firehouses? Honestly?

    ReplyDelete