The North County Labor Council, dominated by white labor leaders, has expressed alarm at the success of Unity PAC in electing African Americans to offices in North County. Led by the predominantly white firefighter’s union, they are particularly alarmed at the prospects of blacks taking control of fire protection districts.
The success of Unity in electing a majority of the directors of the Normandy Fire Protection District has resulted in significant gains for African Americans in employment and contracts in the fire district. Joe Washington and Robert Edwards, having taken control of the Normandy Fire Protection District, have instituted policies to bring about equal opportunities for blacks and females in the fire district. The number of female employees has gone from one to six, including four black females. In addition, the district now has a black fire chief, four black deputy fire chiefs, a black fire captain and a black administrative assistant.
There were no blacks above the level of private in the district before Washington and Edwards gained control.
In fact, out of 34 employees, only five were black – even though the population of the district is over 85 percent black. In addition, several black professionals have been awarded contracts with the district, including the auditor, the attorney, the website administrator, the systems administrator, the insurance agent, the building contractor, and the heating and cooling contractor.
At a recent meeting of labor council leaders, it was determined that the council will recruit black candidates, under the control of white labor leaders, to run for offices in opposition to Unity-backed candidates. They stated that if they had to have a black person in office, it should be someone that white labor has under its control.
It was reported that two white members of the Missouri General Assembly, state Senator Tim Green and state Rep. Gina Walsh, are worried about state Rep. Juanita Head Walton’s candidacy for state senator. Walsh has her eyes on the seat after Green is term-limited in 2012, and Green is concerned that he will not make it to 2012 if he is defeated by Walton in the August 2008 primary.
Add Unity President Tony Weaver’s candidacy against labor’s Mike O’Mara in the 4th County Council District in that same August 2008 primary, as well as a bevy of Unity candidates poised to run for state rep and Democratic committee members against incumbent white labor council members throughout North County, and North County labor has much to fear from Unity’s past electoral success.
Green has sought unsuccessfully to get U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay and County Executive Charlie A. Dooley to back North County labor’s efforts. Both Clay and Dooley point out that they need everybody’s support and thus they are not about to chose sides and get involved in local and lower-level fights between black and white candidates and elected officials.
Having been apprised of the strategy, Weaver and Unity Chairman Elbert Walton issued a joint statement in which they observed, “We fully expect white labor leaders to resort to a ‘Tom’ strategy to stop our march to victory in those areas in which blacks are now seeking to thrust control from the remaining whites who currently hold office in predominantly black areas of north county. We hope that any black candidates that may be recruited by those white labor leaders will not allow themselves to be used and controlled against the interest of their black constituents. We welcome other black candidates, not members of Unity, to join Unity and to seek these offices. For those who do not choose to join Unity, we hope that they will put the interests of black people first and not white labor leaders when making public policy decisions.”
Unity is actively recruiting black candidates to run for state rep and for Democratic committeeman and Democratic committeewoman in the August, 2008 primary. Anyone interested in being supported for office by Unity is invited to attend Unity’s Saturday morning breakfast club meetings held every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., at the Down Home Elegance Restaurant, 10832 Bellefontaine Rd. They can also call Tony Weaver at 314-803-6153.