Firefighters vote Republican too. Why?

[NYCButterfinger]

I don't really get it. Why? Especially in New York City, New Jersey. Firefighters have a "Red Lives Matter" thing too.

[Me.]

1. Well For One Thing, Most Don't Live Where They Work

[jrthin]

6. This says it all. nt

[dhol82]

2. Yeah, never got it. They have strong unions. They should know how they got them.

I think all the anti-union republicans should demand they be at will workers!

[SCantiGOP]

3. Oh, I think they would if they could

In SC, and I think most of the South, public employee unions are illegal.
Public employees can organize, but it is a misdemeanor and can result in removal from office for any public administrator or elected official to negotiate or even interact with them as an official group.
I remember firefighters organizing in one SC city years ago and wanting to approach the City Council about the need for updated equipment needed to protect their citizens. The City Attorney told the Council it would be illegal to put them in the agenda as a group, so each had to be listed separately and it was made explicit that they were speaking as private citizens and not employees.

[Hortensis]

5. Yes, and of course it was people who needed to

be able to act collectively who elected politicians who promised to make sure they couldn't.

[dhol82]

7. The cops and firefighters in NY would go batshit if they lost their privileges.

Pensions alone, after twenty years, keep them on the job.

[Me.]

8. Another Problem

Their union and especially Lynch, are always very adversarial and that behavior is reflected in the police on the job. What would it be like if they said, 'hey let's see if we can work together'?

[Hortensis]

12. Interesting. That's supposedly why unionism in America hasn't

succeeded and embedded as it did in Europe. In most western nations the unions and employers cooperated far more to achieve agreements that worked for both, while in the U.S. the relationship was adversarial from the inception and mostly has remained that way. As we see in the case of this one.

[Hortensis]

4. Nearly 85% of firefighters are white, and of course overwhelmingly

male, over 95%, and they're working class, with many jobs disappearing or becoming much harder to get.

They can dress it up any way that sounds good to them, and there are always other reasons contributing, but they're part of a demographic we know has gotten anxious and angry at losing their white male privileges. Not to badmouth those it doesn't apply to, but many who previously voted Democratic joined their Republican coworkers because they're suffering from just too much equality too fast -- which they see as at their expense.

The traditional work- and wellbeing-related benefits of electing Democrats are overwhelmed by the passions involved. We practically promised Appalachian coal country the world in 2016, but they weren't having it either. The White Male Power Party isn't just blowing smoke in promising they'll fix this huge problem for them, either.

On the plus side, didn't we see some coming back in 2018?

[Me.]

9. I Am Always Amazed At What We See

and they are incapable of realizing. But isn't that usually the way it is when such big changes are forming. Also, it's more comfortable, in some ways, to ignore and pretend what is happening, isn't.

[Demovictory9]

10. and another job category that is being diversified.

[Hutchewon]

11. I worked with police, fire and EMTs for 16 years.

I live in North Carolina. I worked in public safety for a vendor. Firefighters and police are something of a clique. Many police are volunteer fire fighters. Same goes for sheriff deputies and volunteer fire departments outside of the city. Sheriffs are elected officials and very partisan. Most, not all are Republicans.

I know families where most of the males are employed as either firefighters or law enforcement. It is a very conservative insular world in which they abide.

[Hortensis]

13. And no doubt you talk the talk if you want to be accepted.

Reminds me of law school students told in this era that if they want the best, most lucrative jobs they need to style themselves conservative. Or mostly forget it.

Also reminds me of a friend's LAPD husband and his little group of friends long ago. She and he were very active separately and together and liked to entertain. So they often had friends over for this and that, but his colleagues were a closed circle. Courteous, but always gravitating to each other and strictly meaningless small talk with outsiders, even those they'd met a number of times before.

[NYCButterfinger]

15. Most white government employees vote R

Civil service jobs that white males occupy lean Republican.

[LeftInTX]

14. Our local FFU votes Repulican and is in bed with the Tea Party

it's a power grab thing. They pander to both Dems and Family Values, Anti-Tryanny groups and then they win. Then they dismantle the municipal budget and direct it to themselves . They are protected by an Evegreen Clause.
They even forced out our city manager, claiming she earned too much.
They are really bad here

.