PHILADELPHIA — The union representing firefighters in Philadelphia will stand by its endorsement of President Donald Trump, following a month of controversy and a series of angry protests.
But this conflagration promises to keep burning well past Tuesday's election for Local 22 of the International Firefighters and Paramedics Union.
Club Valiants, a 400-member group of Black firefighters, sued Local 22 last week, claiming the timing and process used in the Sept. 29 endorsement by the executive board and a follow-up vote by all union members violated its bylaws on political activity.
Some members have also filed charges with their international union, seeking to oust Local 22 president Mike Bresnan, who pushed for the original endorsement and then called for the full union vote by mail — costing $14,000.
The results of that vote, tallied Wednesday: 1,444 votes in favor of the Trump endorsement, 782 votes to rescind it. About 47% of the union's 4,700 members voted.
Club Valiants President Lisa Forrest said many members boycotted, seeing every step in the process as illegitimate. And she noted that Bresnan, who did not respond to requests for comment, has canceled Local 22's October and November meetings and refused to call a special meeting when asked.
Five of the 10 executive board members sought to rescind the original endorsement, citing a lack of discussion within the local before they acted, the negative impact it had on the union, and its past practices of not getting involved in presidential races. Forrest said that should have invalidated the original endorsement, ending the dispute.
William Tung, a Local 22 member fighting the endorsement, said Bresnan pushed for a mail ballot because more than half of the union's members are older, more conservative retirees more likely to support Trump rather than former Vice President Joe Biden.
"We're not arguing that we should endorse Biden," Tung said. "We're just saying we should stay out of it."
Trump and his campaign were eager for the show of union support in a big city. He quickly tweeted that the original endorsement was "A GREAT HONOR." His daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior White House adviser, followed up, tweeting, "Way to go Local 22!"
Trump was scheduled to visit the union's headquarters on Oct. 4 to accept the endorsement but canceled, announcing on Oct. 2 that he and his wife had COVID-19.
