Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
I should have stayed on the farm, I should have listened to my old man...
Today is the end of an era. For me anyways. For those that remember, this is my Tommy West goodbye (in pertinent part).
[PAST]
In the beginning; I ran for Secretary/Treasurer in 2003. I came in 3rd in a 3-way race. I was young, and "only" had six years on the job. I stayed active though, and with the help of the new officers and Executive Board I prepared myself to run again some day. I didn't know when that would be, but I knew that I would be better prepared once I did.
As I prepared myself, one thing that stuck in my head was a conversation I had with an EMS Supervisor. Someone that had been around for a while, part of the "old guard." After the 2003 election he told me that the membership would never elect a Paramedic into a primary Union officer position. I wasn't convinced.
From 2003 - 2006 I was fortunate enough to be elected as a delegate to State and International Conventions. I attended a few of the IAFF Affiliate Leadership Training classes. I used my vacation, purchased my own air fare, and paid for my own lodging and expenses to attend this very important training.
In 2005 I was the first member of IAFF 1784 to attend the IAFF Political Training Academy. Again, I used my vacation and I drove to Baltimore Maryland to attend this weeklong class. At this time I was not even a member of the Executive Board.
Early in 2006, a vacancy became open for A-Shift North Division Rep. I was assigned to Engine 47-A. I submitted my name for consideration and was appointed to fill the unexpired term for that position. Thank you to then President Terry Oldham. Without his support, none of this would have been possible.
That summer I decided to run for Vice President. Again, I was in another 3-way race. This time was different. This time I had the support of most of the members voting. I didn't give up when the old-school supervisor told me it couldn't be done. I was really active in the Union, and I couldn't have been more proud.
I came into office like most I imagine. Ready to "right" every "wrong" and "stick it to the man."
I'm not certain I ever got to "stick it to the man," because "the man" takes on many forms. I am most proud though of righting many wrongs. Not all. Probably not most. But there were many, and some were significant. Some affected careers and livelihoods.
I started wanting to make everyone happy. Unbeknownst to me at that time, everyone didn't want the same thing (nor do they now). Our membership is a huge melting pot, and in many instances we do not have a lot in common. We have straights, gays, whites, blacks, latinos, Southern Baptists, Catholics, and probably a few atheists. Many Republicans, many Democrats, and probably an Independent or two. Although we are in SEC Country, you'll probably even find a few Big 10, and a few AAC fans lurking around.
What we do have in common though is a desire for better wages, better benefits, and better conditions of employment. I believe we all have the same end goals, but everyone has their own thoughts about how to get there.
I/we did our best to try and "herd the cats" and point the members in a common direction. But in my opinion, for the most part that attempt was futile.
There were mostly ebbs and flows though. Rarely any calm waters. I did make the decisions I thought were best. Truth be told, in hindsight I would probably change some, but not many.
With the changing of the guard, there will be many things I won't miss, and some that I will.
What will I miss the least about being a full-time Union officer?
- Presidential Elections: I don't believe any issue is more divisive than the IAFF's endorsement in Presidential elections. For what it's worth, I trust the IAFF and I trust the 16 IAFF District Vice Presidents to make endorsements based on labor issues.
I do have personal opinions, and they don't always line up with other endorsements. I, like others have to decide if my basket of personal issues outweighs my basket of work-related issues.
- Promotional Testing: Second only to the impassioned division created by presidential endorsements is promotional testing. It's every "man" for "himself." And we get pulled in both directions. A tug-of-war between members.
- Career-ending meetings at HQ: In 15 years there have unfortunately been many; too many. It is my opinion that sometimes good people make bad decisions. You know going in that there is no hope in salvaging their career. In most instances though, you go through the motions. Hoping for a miracle. That last-second call that never comes.
- Politics: Yesterday's enemy is tomorrow's ally, and money is the "mother's milk" of politics. Unfortunately, love isn't forever. Occasionally yesterday's ally is tomorrow's enemy. But you MUST be on the field. You MUST be in the game. And you MUST have the resources to seriously compete.
For those of you that have been around long enough will remember the rise of our two most prominent adversaries: The Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Circle, and Memphis Tomorrow. I wouldn't say that everyone on these committees now, or even then were opposed to Public Safety employees negotiating fair wages and benefits, but there certainly were at least a few driving the bus.
We have had some success in overcoming their efforts. In my experience though, you can't let your guard down for a second. We MUST remain out there on the frontline.
What will I miss most? When a difference could be made, I was glad that my experience and knowledge made a difference. That's probably what I will miss the most, helping the helpers.
I think what surprised me the most out of the past 15 years is that I thought my experience and education was invaluable to our members. I thought what I brought to the table in my role as Vice President was important. And I thought that is what the membership wanted. Someone with years of experience (most good and some bad) that you cannot get anywhere else but in the trenches.
Truth be told, over the past 15 years the Local probably has around $400,000 invested in me, not including the institutional knowledge that I gained from the day-to-day interactions with Fire Administration, Human Resources, Benefits, the City Attorney's office, and our attorneys. The Civil Service status conferences, the arbitration cases, the IAFF Center of Excellence, many orthopedic and neurosurgeons, psychologist, psychiatrists, and cardiologists just to name a few.
But this is my opinion, and this is what I took from all of this. It seems that the overwhelming majority of the membership doesn't value this experience and education; or doesn't know the value. They didn't value it now, and I doubt they will value it for future officers. I took it as it meant nothing.
In the IAFF Communications Training Academy, one of the first questions they ask the class is "what is the value of being a Union member?" We all had similar answers, most that would seem to be obvious answers for Union officers. What they were trying to teach us was that we have to sell it. If we couldn't sell the most basic message to our own members, how could be sell a message to anyone else.
I thought I could sell the value of experienced Union leadership; I couldn't. And that's what brings us here today.
Maybe there was writing on the wall that I just couldn't see (or maybe didn't want to see). And if there was, then that was my fault.
To make it in this business you must posses a certain proclivity for conflict. I am proud to say that I went 15 rounds against many opponents; both internal and external. But in the end they wore me down.
[PRESENT]
I shall leave this office with gratitude for the privilege of serving as your Vice President for the past 15 years. These years have been a momentous time in the history of our Union. They have been a time of achievement in which we can all be proud, achievements that represent the efforts of your Executive Board and the membership. But the challenges ahead are equally great, and they, too, will require the full support of the membership.
I pledge to you that as long as I have a breath of life in my body, I shall continue in that spirit. I shall continue to work for the great causes to which I have been dedicated throughout my years as your Vice President.
This, more than anything, is what I hoped to achieve when I sought the Vice Presidency. This, more than anything, is what I hope will be my legacy to you, to our membership, as I leave the office of Vice President.
To those that stood with me, to my family, my friends, and to the many members that joined in supporting my cause, our cause, because they believed it was right, I will be eternally grateful for your support.
To have served in this office is to have felt a very personal sense of kinship with each and every member. In leaving it, I do so with this prayer: May God’s grace be with you in all the days ahead.
