ANAHEIM : Firefighters’ Union Head Is Disciplined

The president of the city’s firefighters’ union was wrong to use a city-owned computer to recruit workers for two city campaigns and has been disciplined, Fire Chief Jeff Bowman said Friday.

But Bowman refused to say what punishment he meted out to firefighter Gary Martin, except to say, “I’ve dealt with it, and it’s now a done deal.”

Bowman said that while Martin’s action was “clearly inappropriate” and a violation of city and department regulations, he did not believe he acted maliciously.

Attempts to reach Martin on Friday were unsuccessful.

Martin used the computer, which links the city’s fire stations, to transmit a memo that told firefighters that they faced being ostracized by their co-workers if they refused to walk precincts and distribute flyers for the reelection campaigns of Mayor Fred Hunter and Councilman William D. Ehrle, both of whom were defeated in Tuesday’s election.

In the memo, Martin told the firefighters that anyone who refused to do campaign work “leaves me no choice but to publish your name as an individual that prefers to let your fellow firefighters do your work.”

The memo went on to say that the “only reason” Anaheim firefighters have received raises and seen their benefits improved in recent years is that the candidates they have helped in previous elections became members of the City Council.

The firefighters current 2 1/2-year contract, which provided them with an 18% raise, expires in February.