Really? Virginia union prez suspended for TV interview about staffing shortages after fatal fire
News reports indicate that Rusty Quillin, the president of IAFF Local 539, has been suspended from the Portsmouth (VA) Fire Department for speaking to the news media about staffing shortages after a fatal fire in December. Nathan Clark, a firefighter and City Council candidate, talked to The Virginian-Pilot’s Johanna Somers about the suspension but did not actually name Quillin as the suspended firefighter.
When the fire occurred, the closest ladder truck was not staffed. Watch the story below for Quillin’s interview.
If this is really the reason for the suspension, those responsible should look for a different line of work. Bringing such issues to light is the job of a union president. Staffing shortages are no minor thing. They impact the safety of firefighters as well as the public.
If the leadership in Portsmouth is so thin-skinned they can’t handle a little criticism from a man elected by a group of city employees as their representative, they need a permanent time-out.
The real stupidity is, by taking this action, those in charge in Portsmouth have let the public know that Quillin is right. Their only answer to the serious staffing problem is to silence the critic instead of defending their position or fixing the problem. Pitiful.
Johanna Somers, The Virginian-Pilot:
City Manager Lydia Pettis Patton suspended a firefighter because he spoke with reporters about “the numerous vacancies within the department,” Clark said.
Councilman Danny Meeks said although it’s a personnel issue and falls under the city manager, the suspension is “a hard pill to swallow” because the frozen positions were discussed publicly.
“Obviously, he has a constitutional right to speak,” Meeks said. “He wasn’t giving out any top secret information. Much of that information can be” obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
