WILMINGTON, Del. — A fire chief in Delaware said a tire on his pickup truck was slashed Friday morning after an article came out detailing a heated argument on Twitter between the chief and members of the local IAFF union.
DelawareOnline.com reported tweets from Wilmington Fire Chief Anthony Goode have caused tension with union members, who are on their fourth year of working without a contract.
The incident started on March 13 after union member Joey Leonetti Jr. posted a photo on Facebook with a caption that read, “We are Proud we are Strong. Our Administration will not break us down. Union strong we stand for the men and women of the Wilmington Fire Dept. We won’t walk behind someone who says they don’t care about us or our family. Hopefully we will walk behind a new leader next year. Local 1590 strong and proud.”
Goode responded to the Facebook post with a tweet.
“Honeymoon was over after year one, looks like divorce is final now. @IAFFNewsDesk @IAFF1590. Can’t make’m all happy,” Goode wrote.
Leonetti said his Facebook post came after a tweet Goode had posted the previous day.
“My Facebook post was after his tweet calling us disloyal asses and where are we going to turn now,” he said. “I’m passionate and proud for my position as a union executive officer just as much as I am a lieutenant on the fire department.”
Goode admits that his tweets can be “racy,” but said it is just part of who he is.
“If you go back and look throughout the history of my messages, I’ve always put up what’s on my mind or whatever I’ve got going on at the time or a joke. It’s all out there.”