The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) announced Tuesday afternoon it will no longer donate money to federal political candidates. Instead, the union will focus on state elections.
In a statement, IAFF officials said: “We spent close to $15 million in the last election cycle on behalf of federal candidates and both political parties, helping to elect those who support us and defeat those who oppose us.”
However, the IAFF went on to say they felt “attacks” launched at members since the November 2010 elections have changed the landscape.
IAFF President Harold Schaitberger said he doesn’t believe any firefighter legislation will pass this Congress. Therefore, he said, they need to take a stand.
“And while we are fighting for our very survival, our friends aren’t doing enough to fight back -- they don’t have our backs,” he told members in a letter.
Schaitberger went on to say: “Re-focusing our work on the states will serve to bolster the ‘Fighting Back’ campaign we have initiated. ‘Fighting Back’ is a coordinated effort with our state and local affiliates involving various IAFF Divisions: Communications and Media, Government and Political Affairs, Safety and Health, Technical Assistance, GIS, EMS and Education.”
