United Firefighters Pat McOsker's "response" to internal union critics

UFLAC President with SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover. McOsker has received the endorsement of Brian D'Arcy's IBEW Union.

With what promises to be a contentious endorsement conclave at 0900 on Wednesday, UFLAC President Pat McOsker responded to the "small faction of detractors" within the rank and file that have question McOsker's union leadership and fitness for endorsement in the upcoming CD 15 Special Election.We cut and paste some excerpts from McOsker's "attacks on me musings" below for your review.

Regarding those who question him continuing as union president while campaigning for CD 15:

Interestingly, these naysayers are not making the same allegations about a sitting member of the State Assembly who is running in this election.  Neither are they in the cases of the active Police Officer or the political consultant also running.  The fact is that it is extremely rare in American political life for someone to "step down" from their position and turn their back on all other commitments in order to run for elected office.  If that became the expectation, it would be unfair to normal, working people who are willing to serve.  All who would be left to vote for would be millionaires and incumbents.

Who are McOsker's detractors and what are their motives?:

Unfortunately, before we have even had the chance to discuss this issue as a membership, a small faction within our Union has launched an effort to kill the best chance we've had in nearly 25 years to send a firefighter to City Hall.  I am disappointed but not surprised since these are the same "brothers" who collaborated not so long ago with unfriendly City Hall politicians to torpedo your contract, and who worked hard against us when we nearly had the votes to end brownouts.

Will McOsker continue as president of UFLAC?:

No matter what else happens, I will keep my commitment to this membership by staying "on the job" and working hard on your behalf, just like I always have.  That will be the case whether it's to the end of my term here at UFLAC or my swearing in on the City Council.

Why all the internal drama in UFLAC Pat?:

I know from the painful lessons of the past few years that this effort by the former "Recall Committee" is really only about me.  It is "Chapter 5" in an expensive saga which began with the failed recall, and continued with the filing of false charges against me, a series of by-laws elections, and the last contest for president.  This latest attack is a crude attempt to damage my candidacy for City Council, and would do so at the expense of LAFD firefighters and their families.

We will check in again Wednesday..

** Related UFLAC Pat McOsker news via Daily News Rick Orlov "Monday Tipoff Column

** Firefighter-created "patmcoskerforcouncil.com" has its take on McOsker's response. 

Your thoughts..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14