Help the Reedy Creek Firefighters

[Danijo]

Good luck with your negotiations! My husband is a paramedic/firefighter in Prince George's County (IAFF Local 1619) and it's a constant battle between the county and the union. What makes it worse is in the infighting between paramedics and firefighters.

We appreciate and understand all you do and what you sacrifice to provide that service.

We'll stop by when were down in June!

 

[polyman 65]

I am overworked and underpaid,I dont sell T shirts.:lol: but you can send me $$ anyway:lol:

 

[caparamedic]

Originally posted by Danijo
Good luck with your negotiations! My husband is a paramedic/firefighter in Prince George's County (IAFF Local 1619) and it's a constant battle between the county and the union. What makes it worse is in the infighting between paramedics and firefighters.

We appreciate and understand all you do and what you sacrifice to provide that service.

We'll stop by when were down in June!

Are you coming down in June 2004 or did you come by in 2003? :veryconfu Be sure to stop by if you are coming this Summer!

All the operations paramedics are certified firefighters so the firefighter/EMTs can't stand it when we tell them that we can do their job, but they can't do ours!! :lol:

Right now, we are very united. Firefighters, EMS personnel, communicators and inspectors are all trying to get a fair contract with safe working conditions. No raises since January 1, 2001! Our insurance costs have gone up considerably since then.

We are giving up those raises for two years in exchange for retiree benefits. Now how is that selfish? Most of the members won't be retiring for many, many years. The guys that started the department and joined during the first growth period have already retired or died.

As a special taxing district, we don't have the benefit of going to the taxpayers and elected officials to get support for a contract. We have to deal with a paid and appointed official from the district who answers to a board of supervisors which is controlled by the taxpayers (mostly DISNEY). Who am I kidding? It is totally controlled by Disney!

We now have a case in the Florida Supreme Court challenging the part of the District's charter that allows the district to have paid employees who don't have the same benefits as county or city government employees. This should be very interesting.

On March 24th we will attend and speak at the board of supervisors meeting at the District Administration building on Hotel Plaza Boulevard. The room holds about 30 people. We should have several hundred union members there! That will be very VERY interesting. Please join us at 9 AM and wear your UNION shirt!!

We don't even need a permit for public assembly! We were INVITED by Ray Maxwell (the District Administrator) to attend the board meeting and encouraged to wear union shirts! What a guy!

Even he knows that we can't get anywhere with the District's Personnel Director, Steve Colston.

Steve, by the way, was hired based on his record of destroying unions. Under his direction, the union is now the largest, strongest and most united than it has ever been.

 

[engine2lieut]

E-Mail

:wave: I e-mailed the person for you and told him that unions are not always the cause of money problems. Maybe he should cut back on the big bonuses that the executives get and give the money where it belongs. A brother union FF (Local 1363). See you for some t-shirts in March.

 

[caparamedic]

Could this be the end of Reedy Creek Improvement District???

In case you haven't seen the Orlando Sentinel, this article was published yesterday:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...rl-asecreedycreek23022304feb23,1,366834.story

Here is some of it. I won't print it completely due to copyrights, etc.

Power to govern hangs in balance
Comcast could win the keys to the Kingdom but lose the Reedy Creek district.
By Sean Mussenden
Sentinel Staff Writer

February 23, 2004

When Florida lawmakers gave the Walt Disney Co. its own private government nearly 40 years ago, few foresaw that special power falling into unfamiliar hands.

Now, should Comcast Corp.'s bid to buy Disney progress, some state lawmakers say they will explore whether the company's unusual power should be passed on to a new owner.

"Comcast shouldn't take it for granted that, as part of a deal, they'll get the same rights and privileges," as Disney, said state Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, who said he plans to review the legislation that authorized the district.

Disney officials, citing the ongoing takeover bid, declined to comment on Reedy Creek.

"The timing couldn't be better," Kallinger said, adding that he is not as concerned with Comcast taking control of the district as he is with the district itself.

"I know it's been a thorn in the side of many people in this part of the state. If the merger gives us the opportunity to open up the district and take a look at it, then maybe we should do that," he said.

Reedy Creek officials bristle at the suggestion that they are "Disney's government," arguing that they were a separate entity set up by the state to serve the district's "landowner." But Disney, which owns almost all the land within Reedy Creek, has total control over elections, and thus, control of the government. The "hold" music played for callers to Reedy Creek's offices on a recent afternoon: "It's a Small World."
_______
This should generate some responses!! :drevil:

 

[caparamedic]

Could this be the end of Reedy Creek Improvement District???

Let me know if you have a problem with that link (above). We will most likely add this article to the Reedy Creek web site (reedycreek.org).

There will be another article in the Sentinel within the next week that will include some information about the fire department.

Maybe the next time you visit you may be helped by Orange County Fire Rescue or Bay Lake Fire Department or maybe even the Lake Buena Vista Fire Department? We already have at least one fire engine with "CITY" tags on it rather than "COUNTY" tags.

 

[marni1971]

T shirt for the UK

I am desperatley waiting for an answer about shipping a t shirt to the UK.... I emailed but got no reply. If any guys at the station read this can they help?? Many thanks.

 

[caparamedic]

tee shirt sales

If anyone has any "challenges" with tee shirts, please PM me.

I've already sent a message to marni1971 to take care of that challenge. :wave:

 

[caparamedic]

GREAT NEWS EVERYONE!!

Pressure from e-mails and lots of TV and newspaper articles helped!!

All of this publicity helped the Reedy Creek Firefighters union gain a tentative agreement after a marathon session with a federal mediator last week.

See: Reedycreek.org and http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orla...tml?t=printable

Thank you everyone who supported us with e-mails and tee shirt purchases.

Yes! You can still by Reedy Creek Fire Department tee shirts!
:sohappy:

 

[ogryn]

That's good news Caparamedic. Are you happy with the deal?

 

[caparamedic]

We like it!

It isn't perfect, but we can build on it for 2007. The best thing is we can now concentrate our efforts on other things, like raising money for MDA, etc.

:slurp:

 

[mkt]

so... are the shirts still available?

 

[10 min. to wdw]

Re: GREAT NEWS EVERYONE!!

Originally posted by caparamedic
Yes! You can still by Reedy Creek Fire Department tee shirts!
:sohappy:

MKT I think this prior post answers your question

 

[mkt]

lol....

i'm an idiot..

yes, you can all quote that

 

[Bill]

Yep. He's right.

 

[10 min. to wdw]

consider it quoted.

 

[mkt]

I hate all of you

 

[caparamedic]

The "Powerless Since 1977" is priceless! We really like Security because they like to help. Sometimes too much. They do follow directions well and can clear a room is less than 5 seconds!

The other day we had smoke in a building and I had to make the following announcement, "If you are not wearing an airpack like mine you must leave this building now!". Sure enough, the building was cleared immediately!

The SOAR team refers to Security as the blue canaries. They go right into possible Haz Mat., or Bio Hazard scenes with no protection. We figure as long as they aren't flopping around on the ground it can't be too bad!

The few, the proud, the powerless, the first to die. That's them!!

 

[mkt]

lol...


blue canaries... that's priceless. That's going in my list of quotes.

 

[caparamedic]

Sorry I haven't update you guys recently.......

We have some GOOD news!! !

The union approved a three year contract and achieved all of their objectives. The RCID Board of Supervisors approved the contract without objections! The new contract gives us a great base to build on for our next contract and fixes many mistakes that were made in the past.

The State of Florida continues to push for a legislative review of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. We saw Fox news filming the other day in front of the District Administration building. Their story aired yesterday.

Thank you for your support!

By the way.....tee shirt sales are by internet only now. We have been barred from selling shirts at headquarters. We are moving quickly to provide tee shirt sales at both headquarters (St. 1) and the new station, number 4.
For shirt sales go to www.reedycreek.org