Yonkers Firefighters To Protest Spano's "Pay To Play" Fundraiser

[Viper 139]

YONKERS FIREFIGHTERS and FIRE OFFICERS
PROTEST MAYOR SPANO’S
"PAY TO PLAY" FUNDRAISER

WHEN: Thursday, January 21, 2016 @ 5:45 PM

...

WHERE: Castle Royale (Formerly the Polish Center)
92 Waverly St., Yonkers, NY

Contact: Robert Antulov (914) 562 4381

On Thursday, January 21, at 5:45pm Yonkers Firefighters Local 628 (representing 325 Yonkers Firefighters), along with the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (which represents 131 Yonkers Fire Officers), and the New York Police and Fire Retiree Association - NYPFRA, (which represents hundreds of retired Yonkers Firefighters) will be holding a rally and march to protest Mayor Mike Spano’s $250.00 and up per plate fundraiser at Castle Royale on Nepperhan Avenue in Yonkers.

Neither Local 628 nor the Uniformed Fire Officers Association endorsed Mike Spano in his recent re-election campaign. It is apparent that this lack of an endorsement for Spano has resulted in retaliation against active and retired Yonkers Firefighters and their families.

Following are some examples of Mayor Mike Spano’s vindictive retaliation against the Yonkers Firefighters and Yonkers Fire Officers:

• Yonkers Fire Officers have been working without a contract and have not had a cost of living increase for over seven years.

• Yonkers Firefighters and Fire Officers, who have been found to be fully disabled by both the State of New York and the City of Yonkers, have had their benefits illegally reduced by Mayor Spano, despite a decision in NYS Supreme Court which found the payments to be proper and justified.

• Despite two overwhelming votes of no confidence in Fire Commissioner John Darcy in relation to an incident in which a Fire Lieutenant was rendered unconscious in an alleged assault by Darcy, Mike Spano has not allowed for a fair and transparent investigation that would interview ALL of the witnesses. There have been no steps taken to assure members of the Yonkers Fire Department that Darcy does not present a danger to those around him. Furthermore, an innocent victim has been "re-victimized" by a completely unjust penalty for the political purpose of "providing cover" for Darcy and the Mayor who appointed him.

Mike Spano has placed the City of Yonkers in his rear-view mirror. The term-limited Spano and his friends and family are now focused on the 2018 Westchester County Executive Race. Yonkers Firefighters, active and retired, have not and will not succumb to the pressure to endorse Spano in order to avoid his efforts at retaliation. We believe that as we continue to expose the wrong doings of Mike Spano and his administration, the people of Yonkers and of Westchester County will soon come to realize that Spano cares not for them and for doing what is ethical and just, but is solely motivated by what he is able to gain for himself, and for his friends and family.