You can say all this high hat stuff all you want. Everybody knows that the agenda of unions is more money for less work and better working conditions. Unions endorse the candidates they think get them to their goal, always have and always will.

Trying to dispute that is really kind of hopeless. But let’s put it this way.

Name one official your union has ever endorsed that told you there’s no way you’d ever get them to vote for any increase for your members? Name just one.

I have been president of The Hollywood Professional Fire Fighters, Local #1375 for nineteen years. I have been an officer in our local for 29 years. NEVER ONCE have we EVER specifically or generally asked a candidate whether they “will or won’t support [our] negotiation goals.” Anyone who claims that about us is a bald-faced liar and I dare them to make the same accusation and sign their real name to it.

My local union was the first to endorse Steve Geller for County Commission even though we are a municipal fire union. Steve Geller could promise ANYTHING regarding our “negotiation goals” and he’d never be able to deliver on it because we have no direct dealings with the County Commission. As Sue has written herself, we didn’t even interview either candidate, we based our endorsement on knowing them both for 20+ years and on their voting records. Consequently, no “promises” were ever asked for and none wear ever implied, let alone made. That was the same thought process when he later received the endorsement of The Broward County Council of Professional Fire Fighters. All but one of the BCCPFF’s affiliated fire unions are municipal based and no county commissioner can either help or hurt our “negotiation goals”.

I was also present as the AFL-CIO endorsement meeting when Geller was endorsed and it was the same scenario. In fact, the vast majority of the voting members on the AFL-CIO Executive Board do not have dealings with the County Commission because most work in private sector. Out of the 50+ unions represented by the AFL-CIO, I believe only two (Federation of Public Employees and the Broward County Firefighters and Paramedics) sign labor agreements with the County Commission.

Therefore, the suggestion that the current slate of pro-Geller labor endorsements are based on his willingness to support “negotiation goals” is misleading to the point of being outright deceitful.

Since Sue got the endorsement of Unite Here! (the hotel workers), why isn’t the above writer making the same accusations of her? Is he willing to concede that Sue made “negotiation goal” promises to Unite Here! in order to win their endorsement? Or is it that he has absolutely no clue what’s he’s talking about and that BOTH candidates have secured their endorsements in legitimate fashion?

I realize supporters of both sides are going to vigorously defend their candidates, but if you’re going to drag me, my local, or any of my local’s affiliated organizations into your argument, please be honest and factual.

The comment above is neither.

Sincerely,

Russell R. Chard, President
The Hollywood Professional Fire Fighters;
Delegate to The Broward County Council of Professional Fire Fighters;
Public Safety Sector Vice President, Broward County AFL-CIO

Everybody knows this. It requires no proof.

If the AFL/CIO chose to support Geller over Gunzburger, that means they think their members will make out better financially with Geller than Gunzburger. Anybody that doesn’t think that’s true is not, well, thinking. Unions are not in the business of picking the best statesmen for office. They pick the best operatives for their cause. It is an integral part of their currupt approach: First, we endorse the candidates most accommodating to our membership’s agenda, second we help them get elected, and last, we negotiate contracts with them after election day.

Union politics is the ultimate quid pro quo and always has been.

Sue Gunzburger will win this race because she’s been doing the job honorably and well for a long time. Voters know that. She works for us.

Steve Geller is running for the county for one reason only. It is the only other thing he can do to keep his political career alive. It is not that he wants to even be a county commissioner. It’s that he has no choice if he wants to continue being elected.

With Gunzburger, she works to secure our agenda. With Geller, he wants us to secure his agenda.

Whatever else is true or not true about that candidates, that much is clear.

Could it be because unions are important and are needed. Could it be that Gonesburger knows that importance of unions and need union supports, but because she can’t get any, she and Little Ronnie attack them. Obviously the Gonesburger’s didn’t read the Aesops Fable about the fox and sour grapes.

Congratulations Steve Geller. You made a great Senator and will make an even better County Commissioner!

Since you apparently know so much about the process, why don’t you enlighten the rest of us on what “promises” Geller made to the unions? Give us a specific list instead of innuendo. If you’re going to claim that Geller bought the endorsement, tell us how much and who got it. It’s time to put up or shut up. If you can’t do it, then you’d better look in the mirror the next time you make an “ignorant or lying” claim.

Once again, the GONEzburger crowd is trying to smear Geller because they can’t win on the issues. That should show you that they know she’s in trouble in this campaign.

Make no mistake.

The union has no problem with Sue Gunzburger or Steve Geller. They chose to endorse Geller because he wanted their endorsement and made promises to them to get it. That is exactly how union endorsements work and anybody that tells you otherwise is either ignorant or lying.

Those promises, exchanged for union endorsements will cost the taxpayer.