IAFF: STL Says No To Becker
County not buying what Edzo and Lima are selling.
Kurt Becker, former head of the IAFF Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC), made the headlines recently in the St. Louis press.
He was President Kelly’s handpicked choice to lead the IAFF-FC before his abrupt departure several months ago.
Braden Frame, an announced candidate for IAFF president, says that it is more likely than not that workplace harassment is one of the reasons for Becker’s departure.
Frame terms Becker’s disappearance as a “de facto termination.”
Kelly once said of Becker, “He has the managerial experience and strong work ethic needed to get this job done and our members can trust that he will always work for them.”
And Secretary Treasurer Frank Lima said, “This is an important role and Kurt is bringing fresh eyes and energy to the IAFF-FC. We appreciate him stepping up for this assignment.”
But one source says he was told by IAFF vice president Jay Colbert that Becker was actually hired as a reward for generating votes for Kelly in his election.
Becker has apparently said that his departure had nothing to do with a wide-ranging federal lawsuit filed by a former IAFF-FC employee; rather he was simply fatigued by the weekly commute.
Given the harassment allegations it seems that Becker (and everyone else) might have been better off had he worked from home full-time.
Back on his home turf Becker applied to be St. Louis County’s Director of Administration at an anemic annual salary of $145K, paltry in comparison to his IAFF-FC compensation.
The headlines tell the story,
- Sam Page names longtime firefighters’ union leader as new director of administration.
then,
- St. Louis County delays vote on Page’s new director of administration
then,
- Sam Page’s pick for director of St. Louis County administration withdraws application.
One media source pinned the controversy on Becker “demanding unethical kickbacks from companies seeking to do business with the firm.” (IAFF-FC)
That same source referred to the “ongoing struggle to align personal ambition with the public good.”
If you swap out “public” for “union” you have the crux of the problem: elected IAFF leaders have forfeited the good of the IAFF for their own greed and personal gain.
Here’s the kicker: even after Becker withdrew his name, the County Council still voted to deny the appointment, an extraordinary gesture in itself and one you will never see at our union.
It’s a verdict based on integrity, transparency and conscience.
Edzo and Frankie can hide the truth but they are the only ones buying the bullshit.
