[CIMC-work] IMO, this would have been worthy of a center panel

[DCPGolightly at aol.com]

Good article, and if the authors had been contacted, they might have agreed 
to edit it a bit.  IMO, very important as far as local news.  Sorry it escaped 
me:






News :: Labor 
Protests shake up Chicago Fire Dept. 
by Lance Cohn and Curly Cohen
Email: pww (nospam) pww.org (unverified!)
Phone: 773-446-9920
Address: 3339 S Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60608 
09 Apr 2004 
The city’s first African American fire commissioner in the 150-year history 
of the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) was appointed April 1 after weeks of 
mounting protest against a series of racist slurs on the CFD’s radio frequency. 
CHICAGO – The city’s first African American fire commissioner in the 
150-year history of the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) was appointed April 1 after 
weeks of mounting protest against a series of racist slurs on the CFD’s radio 
frequency. 

“We’re entering a new era,” said Cortez Trotter, who assumes office May 1 
and who pledged to increase efforts to diversify the work force. Presently, 68 
percent of firefighters are white in a city that is 63 percent African American 
and Latino. 

Mayor Richard Daley and outgoing CFD Commissioner James Joyce were facing 
increasing public criticism for allowing the situation to fester. In addition, 
over 200 people, including firefighters, clergy and elected officials rallied 
March 23 at the Chicago Fire Fighters Union offices to denounce union President 
James McNally, who blamed African American firefighters for the use of the 
racist slurs. 

“McNally is unable to represent all firefighters and should resign,” said 
Father Michael Pfleger from St. Sabina’s Church. 

McNally has a history of making such comments. Pfleger urged white 
firefighters to step forward and denounce the racism. Many believe a majority of white 
firefighters are also embarrassed by the remarks. 

The multiracial crowd carried signs that read “We condemn all forms of racism,
” “We are united in love not hate,” “Extinguish the racial slurs,” and “
McNally, stop blaming the victims.” 

“We are working on a petition asking the 5,000 union members for a vote of ‘
no confidence,’” Battalion Chief Nicholas Russell, representing the African 
American Fire Fighters Association, told the World. Russell has been the object 
of death threats in the past few weeks. He concluded the best way to unite 
the firefighters is for McNally to resign. 

Disunity in the union, an early endorser of Democratic presidential candidate 
Sen. John Kerry, only hurts the effort to defeat Bush. Registered nurse 
Elissa Curry told the World “when Bush opposes affirmative action he is encouraging 
those who feel that they can openly express their racist views.” She said 
Bush must be defeated in November. 

Alderman Rey Colon of the city’s 35th Ward connected the war in Iraq and 
racism when he said, “We are looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But, 
the WMDs (racism) are right here at home. This problem has to be resolved.” 

Affordable Power to the People (APP), a group fighting gas shutoffs, was 
present. Maria Majic vowed to fight the transfer of one firefighter caught using 
racial slurs to her Bridgeport neighborhood after he completes a 30-day 
suspension. “This is disrespectful to the people in our neighborhood. We won’t 
tolerate it,” she said. 

APP is part of a coalition, Bridgeport Against Racism, that wrote a letter to 
Daley demanding the dismissal of Joyce and asking that the suspended 
firefighter not be reassigned to a Bridgeport fire station. Bridgeport is a 
predominantly white community with a history of racist assaults and the home of the 
Daley machine. The group held a press conference at the site where Lenard Clark, a 
12-year-old African American, was savagely beaten in 1997. 

The authors can be reached at pww (at) pww.org. 
See also:
http://www.pww.org
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