A sea of several hundred chanting firefighters in red T-shirts marched on the State House yesterday to demand an end to what they see as a posture of disrespect toward them by City Hall lawmakers and the local press.
Firefighters from across the state attended the rally, which was part of the annual lobbying day of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. Among them were dozens of members of Boston Firefighters Local 718, who came to protest stalled contract negotiations and accused City Hall of "feeding bogus stories" to Boston news media.
Boston firefighters have been criticized in recent months for resisting mandatory drug tests, after autopsy results indicated that one of two firefighters who died in a West Roxbury restaurant fire last August was under the influence of alcohol and that the other had used cocaine. Since then, two other firefighters have been arrested on drug charges.
Robert B. McCarthy, president of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, said firefighters would not stand to be treated "like dogs."
"We do what needs to be done," McCarthy bellowed into a microphone set up on Boston Common before the march to the State House. "We ask one thing in return: respect."
The crowd of firefighters chanted in response, saying, "What do we want? Respect! When do we want it? Now!" click here to read the entire story courtesy of the Boston Globe.
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Personnel from across the state attended a rally near the State House as part of the annual lobbying day of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. (DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF)
