So The Unions Hate It
by Bob Walsh
The idea is a bill introduced into the legislature of the formerly great state of California by Eloise Reyes, D-Pasadena. It would take some of the speedbumps out of the way for inmate firefighters who want to become civil service firefighter-EMTs.
Currently any person with two or more felonies of any kind is prohibited from getting an EMT certificate in CA. Any felony within the last two years and any person on active parole is also automatically excluded.
The firefighters unions STRONGLY object, asserting (correctly) that they have waiting lists of applicants for the gigs and do not need to hire people who would be fired if they already had the job and were convicted of crimes these people have already been convicted of.
The language of the bill is still being worked out.
My own opinion, for what that may be worth to you. is that each case should be looked on with consideration to the individual merits of the applicant. Automatically excluding EVERYBODY seems a bit harsh and unreasonable.
It is also being put forward as a racial thing, which I admits pisses me off a bit. I also have a problem with the phraseology "mistakes in their past." You might make a mistake on a spelling test. Burglarizing someone's house or stealing their car is not a mistake, it is a deliberate act.
There are 30,000 unionized firefighters in the state. Their political clout is significant. I am not betting on this one getting any traction.
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