LETTER TO THE ALMANAC
Fire Districts generally tend to have a family type of atmosphere, with mutually respectful relationships between firefighters, support staff, fire administration, and elected officials.  This relationship is fostered out of the satisfaction of doing such a critical job within the community.  Historically, the Menlo Park Fire District has certainly had that type of relationship.  However, over the past four to five years the atmosphere for the members on the floor doing the job has dramatically turned in the opposite direction.  Morale has never been lower and it has become evident to firefighters and support staff that they are not trusted or respected by their administration or elected officials.  It is only natural that mistrust will sooner or later become mutual.  The firefighters of Menlo Park believe that the only way to repair our relationship is with open and honest communication between all elements of our Fire District.   

     In the past four years the elected officials of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District have voted twice not to meet with the firefighters of Menlo Park while the District and firefighters were engaged in contract negotiations.  This may not strike some citizens as an issue but we have been actively engaged in contract negotiations for thirty-six of the past forty-two months.  Just as in any business or family, open lines of communication are the key to a positive relationship.  We ask that you please understand that the lack of a contract for the firefighters of Menlo Park is only one aspect of this problem; an important aspect to be sure, but our focus is not our collective bargaining agreement but specifically the daily work life of the staff of the District.  We have a vested interest in the future of this Fire District because the firefighters of Menlo Park live here in the community one third of our professional lives.

     The first vote by the District Board not to talk to us did result in an eventual contract settlement, but only after 18 months and harsh feelings from both parties. Then, after a mere six months of having a working contract we started negotiating again in March of 2008.  At the July 15th, 2008, Fire District Board Meeting members of the Fire Board voted to once again refrain from discussing matters of any nature related to the Fire District with the firefighters of Menlo Park during contract negotiations.  This decision by the Fire Board to not talk to the firefighters of Menlo Park was confusing to us since “improving labor relations” was set as a high priority for 2008 at a public Fire Board Meeting earlier in the year. 

     The Executive Board of the Menlo Park Firefighters’ Association believes that this decision not to talk to the firefighters of Menlo Park has proven to be against the best interests of all parties involved (the citizens of the Fire District, the Fire District’s Employees and the Fire District itself).  We believe that the District Board's decision not to talk with us plays a significant part in
WHY FIREFIGHTER MORALE IS LOW IN THE FIRE DISTRICT.

     In July of 2008 the firefighters of Menlo Park pleaded with every member of our current Fire Board to restore normal relations and sit down with us.  Knowing what the Fire Board’s decision was going to do to our organization we had Ed Hawkins, President of San Mateo County Firefighters, send a written correspondence to all five members of the Fire Board offering to broker a meeting between us. [see Hawkins’s Letter to Fire Board]   Even after receiving the letter the District’s elected officials still would not agree to talk with us.

     We had no success for almost a year, even after promising the members of the District Board that the issues to be discussed had nothing to do with the current contract negotiations.  We had and still have ideas on how the District can save tens of millions of dollars in the next decade while providing a better service to our communities.  Unfortunately, our ideas have not been heard.  In spring of 2009 we were able to make limited progress and spoke with a couple members of our Board.  It seems however, that although promising at the time, it has not given us buy in from the rest of the Board.  In fact, we have a current Fire Board Member that has taken the time to contact the candidates running for Fire Board in November to advise them not to meet with us or seek our endorsement.  He has informed candidates that our endorsement would hurt a potential candidate’s chance for election. He went on to state that if a candidate received our endorsement that they would be branded as “pro-union” and they would be perceived as being obligated to the “union.”  How is that for communication and progress?
  
     We would like to go on record and state that the firefighters of Menlo Park do not want anyone to feel obligated to us.  What we hope for is that our next Fire District Board is one that will independently choose to meet with us and have a working relationship with us.  Our ultimate desire is that the relationship created with our new Fire Board is not disingenuous and is not only about appearances.  We dream that our next Fire Board will meet with us not out of obligation, but will meet with us because they understand the need to hear all sides of an issue prior to making an informed decision.  In the end all we want is a professional working relationship with our elected officials, a goal that currently escapes us. 

     We have interviewed all but one of the new candidates running for Menlo Park Fire Board and believe we have found three responsible and rational people that are willing to analyze problems and work towards logical solutions that make sense.  Due to their quality, the firefighters of Menlo Park are proud to both endorse and support Jack Nelson, Robert J. Silano and Jon M. Mosby in their campaign for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District Board.  We respectfully ask that you do so as well.

     Please vote for Jack Nelson, Robert J. Silano and Jon M. Mosby as Menlo Park Fire District Board Members on Tuesday November 3rd, 2009.