Resolution 150675

..Title The Council of the City of Philadelphia is proud to honor and recognize outgoing president of Local 22, Joseph Schulle, and the Executive Board for their hard work, accomplishments and leadership. ..Body WHEREAS, The International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 22, represents City of Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics. Local 22 traces its origins back to 1915, when Philadelphia firemen formed the City Fire Fighters' Association; and WHEREAS, Local 22 is lead by a Union president and an Executive Board. In 2013, Battalion Chief Joseph Schulle became president; and WHEREAS, Joe joined the Fire department in 1992 and has worked in many companies throughout the city. Through hard work and tenacity, Joe quickly rose through the ranks to the position as Battalion Chief. Throughout his career, Joe has been a staunch supporter of Local 22 and its membership; and WHEREAS, A Union president needs a good Executive Board to be successful. Joe's executive Board included Vice President, Tim McShea, who served the union for many years and recently retired; Chairman of the Trustees, Mike Kane, who was a Battalion chief, served as a union official for ten years and recently retired; Trustee, Ed Marks, currently serving as Vice President and served as a firefighter for 38 years; Sergeant at Arms, Dan Oakes, who is a Fire Lieutenant and is currently serving as the Treasurer of Local 22; and President's assistant Karen Boyle; and WHEREAS, Joe and the board worked diligently to convene a professional and respectful image both publicly and privately when discussing even the most difficult issues with the City's Administration; and WHEREAS, They worked to ensure that no matter how difficult and adversarial the issues became, that there always remained an open line of communication with all City officials; and WHEREAS, Through their leadership these individuals have seen the City's 2,100 Firefighters and Paramedics through many accomplishments; and WHEREAS, They convinced the City Administration and the Mayor to honor the 2009 contract after three years of court battles; and WHEREAS, In an effort to save the City of Philadelphia several million dollars annually and preserve the health benefits of the City's Firefighters and Paramedics, a change was made from fully insured medical insurance model to a self insured model. This change saved the City of Philadelphia 3 million dollars in the first year and the savings are projected to continue for the foreseeable future; and WHEREAS, They secured meaningful legislation that ensured the safety of the citizens of Philadelphia as well as the safety of the City's Firefighters and Paramedics by ensuring a public forum to discuss and review reductions in the Fire Department before they were instituted; and WHEREAS, They worked closely with Philadelphia City Council to bring to light the deteriorating conditions of many of the City's Fire Stations, which led to a working closely with the Department of Public Property to identify and prioritize the necessary repairs; and WHEREAS, They brought to light the dangerous condition of much of the Fire Department's fleet; and WHEREAS, They helped pass legislation to help reduce the risks posed by large vacant properties to both the citizens of Philadelphia and the Firefighters tasked with responding to these potentially deadly fires; and WHEREAS, They addressed serious health and safety concerns related to protecting our first responders and the citizens of Philadelphia during the Ebola scare; and WHEREAS, They worked to have the 2013 ACT 111 interest arbitration award issued. This marked the first time in over 4 years that the City's Firefighters and Paramedics worked under a current contract. It was also the first Interest Arbitration award that was not appealed in over 15 years; and WHEREAS, For the first time, the International Association of Firefighters, Local 22, teamed up with Operation Warm and provided over 500 new coats to Philadelphia's children most in need over a two year period; and WHEREAS, With the help of several of our Hispanic Firefighters, the Union participated in multiple benefits and community outreach events directed towards the City's growing Hispanic Community; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it honors and recognizes Joe Schulle and all the members of the Executive Board on their hard work, accomplishments and leadership ..End