9/11 first responder: Unions work for all of us

Fourteen years ago, on a clear September morning, the world – and mine – changed forever. On September 11, 2001, as our nation watched in horror as tragedy unfolded, I responded with my brothers and sisters from EMS Station 22, running against the crowds fleeing the horror of Lower Manhattan to do my job as an EMT. That day the brave firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other first responders who answered the call of duty didn’t hesitate to put their lives on the line.

The selflessness and bravery we witnessed on 9/11 wasn’t an anomaly; heroism of all shapes and sizes is the backbone of our work. As people who serve the public, we dedicate our lives to helping others. It’s the job we signed up for and love. But without my union advocating on my behalf, doing my job would be impossible.  

{mosads}Unions, at their core, are groups of everyday people who come together to make their voices heard on issues that affect all of us. They are fighting for smaller class sizes, quicker response times in emergencies and better staffing for hospitals. Their victories are our victories, improving the quality of life in the cities and towns we call home.

Too often, though, these same public service workers become the targets of radical politicians, corporate CEOs and wealthy special interests, who want to make it even harder for working people to earn a living wage and support their families. Their latest attack is coming as they attempt to hijack our nation’s highest court for their dishonest purposes. A new case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, seeks to undermine the effectiveness of unions by allowing some people to avoid paying their fair share.  

Public service worker unions benefit everyone in the workplace. Through the power of negotiating together, we are able to make sure that working people earn wages and benefits that can support their families, and win improvements to make their work more effective. The only way to do that is by using our strength in numbers – coming together and speaking with one voice. We all benefit from having our voices heard. 

The Friedrichs plaintiffs want to make it even harder for us to come together by allowing some employees to shirk their fair share of the fees that support these negotiations. The union, by law, has to represent all employees in the workplace. So if the people bringing this case get their way, they will receive the benefits from the union negotiating on their behalf, but won’t pay their fair share to cover the costs of that work.  That’s like going out to dinner with a group of your friends and having someone walk away from the table without putting something down for the bill.  

Importantly, the benefits of unions speaking together extend far beyond the workplace. If the Court rules against unions, public safety standards across America will be weakened. Police, firefighters, EMS, and first responders won’t be able to push for life-saving equipment and shorter response times, and social workers won’t be able to push for better nurse-to-patient ratios. Our teachers – entrusted with the education of our children – would lose the ability to negotiate for smaller class sizes and improved educational standards. This case could even eliminate protections for whistleblowers who work in food safety – the people we count on to speak out against toxic chemicals polluting our food products, air and water. 

No one lobbies for average Americans, but our public service worker unions help middle class families build better lives for themselves, and can help stop the economic scales in this country from tilting even more toward corporations and billionaires. When the Supreme Court hears this case in the upcoming term, I hope that the justices will remember the heroism of our public service workers and act to protect them, just as they protect and serve our communities every day.

Variale is an EMS lieutenant at FDNY.