Kansas City Star Decries 'Repulsive' Westport Crash Aftermath Amid Local 42 Advocacy

A worthwhile blame game postscript column that probably won't change much BUT does seem to predict the downfall of this town's strongest union . . . Like it or not, here's the word . . . 

"But even Local 42 seems to understand that this outcome is repulsive to the public. 

“There is an issue that overshadows everything in this case, and that is that three people lost their lives in a terrible and tragic collision back in 2021,” union attorney Ray Salva made sure to emphasize Tuesday. 

" 'Throughout this litigation, Local 42 and its members have never minimized or diminished that, and nothing about this ruling changes anything about the loss suffered by those families.' 

"He then retreated to the safer ground of contracts and procedure, framing all of this as a matter of arbitration, just cause and grievance rights rather than THE FIREFIGHTER'S conduct. But that’s an absurdly narrow way to look at what happened here. For one, arbitration is a lousy process for deciding something like this. A former police commissioner shouldn’t have the final say on whether a firefighter whose negligence resulted in three deaths gets to keep his job . . .

"But there is a cost to winning this way. Some outcomes are so outrageous that ordinary citizens start to perk up and pay closer attention. This is one of those outcomes. At a certain point, enough people are going to wonder whether, in working so zealously on behalf of its members, Local 42 has begun working against the interests of the city."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

How does a KC firefighter who caused 3 deaths get just 3 days without pay? | Hudnall

Local 42 can defend this outcome as a victory for due process. The rest of Kansas City doesn't have to accept it. From David Hudnall:

Skip the paywall and read by way of Internet archive or public library card.