Responding to comments by fire union President James McNally that black firefighters might have been behind the recent racist radio broadcasts, black and Hispanic firefighters gathered in force outside Local 2 headquarters Tuesday and called for McNally’s resignation.
Standing in the parking lot of the union’s offices at 440 W. 43rd St., Battalion Chief Nick Russell announced a petition that was circulating through firehouses across the city calling for McNally’s ouster.
Behind Russell in support were more than 150 current and retired black and Hispanic firefighters, Alds. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) and Rey Colon (35th), clergy, residents and signs that read: “McNally stop blaming the victims” and “False accusations will not be tolerated.”
“These are people who have indicated by their presence that this has to stop,” Russell said. “The growing feeling is that we don’t have confidence in him. There’s no tracking of him bringing us together. There’s only a tracking of his divisiveness.”
The call for McNally’s resignation came after the union leader told the Chicago Sun-Times that those outraged by the recent slurs “may have something to do with these radio transmissions.”
Marshall Hatch with Rainbow/PUSH said McNally’s resignation was needed to restore trust in the Fire Department in black communities.
“He presents the wrong face of the Fire Department,” Hatch said of McNally, who was elected the union’s president in April 2002. “As we move into the summer, none of us need this higher racial tension between the African-American community and the Fire Department.”
McNally declined to comment on his past statements. In a statement he released Tuesday, McNally denounced the racist broadcasts as well as “those in the media [and] political circles who seek to portray me personally, or Local 2 collectively, as inherently racist.”
Black firefighters were upset over McNally’s insinuation that their colleagues were behind the statements made in February and early March over fire radio frequencies.
“I was outraged a little,” said Lt. Barry Mitchell, a 17-year veteran who is black. “It’s almost like a female being assaulted and the accuser saying it’s her fault.”
Many black firefighters also criticized McNally’s past insensitivity, which included showing up in the late 1980s at a firehouse in blackface to protest affirmative action. Many also denounced the union’s use of member dues, including those from black firefighters, to pay for lawsuits that fight affirmative-action promotions.
“If you’re going to use my money against me, you should take some of my money and put it in escrow so I can use it to sue you,” said Lt. Annette Nance-Holt, 39, a 13-year veteran who is black.
A lone white firefighter stood on the perimeter of the circle made by protesters and the media. Fire Engineer Michael O’Neill raised his hand when Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Catholic Church asked if there were any white firefighters at the rally.
While he disagreed with calling for McNally’s resignation, O’Neill said he wanted to find a peaceful solution to the internal strife between the two groups.
