Elections in the United States two weeks ago produced some very positive results for our members. We initiated a new strategy this year where we invested significant FIREPAC dollars on the state level – where our members and union have seen the biggest attacks – and we worked hand in hand to complement each other’s efforts like never before.

I know you worked hard to elect governors, state senators and state representatives who have our backs, and all of us took on some very well-funded adversaries pushing ballot initiatives that would have had devastating effects on our members. We had tremendous success in Minnesota and Maine, where we helped flipped control of the state legislatures in our favor. We also had an important victory in California, where we weighed in heavily and the California Professional Firefighters worked hard to defeat Proposition 32 – shutting down the third attempt to silence our political voices in California. And there were so many other victories in state after state.

At the national level, we increased the fire fighter-friendly majority in the Senate by two votes, with our combined efforts – and our buses with our signature gold and black and the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters shouting our support – getting significant credit for the victories of Elizabeth Warren and Claire McCaskill in their respective states. And together with our state and local affiliates we weighed in heavily in the victorious efforts of Tim Kaine in Virginia, Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, Sherrod Brown in Ohio, Bill Nelson in Florida and Angus King in Maine. We also weighed in on the upset victories by our friends, Senators-elect Joe Donnelly in Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota.

And in the House we were able to loosen the grip of those who have been using that forum to go after our members’ rights, pensions and jobs with important wins that narrow their majority.

Finally, the re-election of President Obama and Vice President Biden ensures that we have leaders in the White House who we can work with and who respect the service and sacrifice of our members.

As pleased as I am about the results, I am just as gratified by the work of this International and all of you. You put the boots on the ground, made the calls, knocked on the doors – making sure our gold-and-black brand was front and center in this election. And the results speak for themselves.

So today I want to thank each of you for your hard work. You did it on behalf of our membership and our union.

The election night results confirmed that our strategy was sound and our hard work paid off. Will it mean an end to the attacks we’ve experienced over the past two and a half years? No. But we will now have more friends in office who should stand with us to face down those who come after us. And our members will be better off for it.

God bless you and stay safe.

Harold A. Schaitberger
General President