By Laura French
WASHINGTON — The International Association of Fire Fighters and its president, Harold Schaitberger, have released statements on the election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.
The IAFF said in a statement on Nov. 7 that it has supported Biden for more than 18 months, from the early primaries through the general election, focusing its efforts on encouraging IAFF members to vote and rallying support for the candidate among the general public.
“While the full story of this election is not over, we are proud today to say that our friend Joe will be the next president of the United States, and he will never forget that IAFF fire fighters had his back,” the statement read.
Schaitberger also released a statement emphasizing the union’s longtime support for the now-president-elect, adding that Biden “will be a president on issues that give fire fighters a full voice in protecting their neighborhoods.”
“He will be a leader for all Americans, regardless of their political affiliations, while restoring the soul [of] the nation,” Schaitberger stated. “He will rebuild the backbone of the middle class and restore people’s belief in equal opportunity for everyone with his core conviction that by working together we can build back better.”
The IAFF became the first union to formally endorse Biden in April 2019, a decision that drew ire from some members and from President Donald Trump. In September, Philadelphia Fire Fighters and Paramedics Union IAFF Local 22 broke from national union leadership by endorsing Trump for re-election, leading to a lawsuit from the city’s Black firefighters’ organization.