At the Florida Professional Firefighters Convention this past Friday, over 500 delegates representing over 26,000 professional fire fighters in Florida UNANIMOUSLY voted to boycott the City of Clearwater, Pinellas County Florida, and the Florida Firefighter Olympics.

The Boycott is over the unfair and illegal treatment of firefighters within Clearwater. This includes, sexual discrimination, illegal firings, and absolutely ignoring all aspects of the contract agreed to and signed by Clearwater Officials and the Clearwater Firefighters Association (CFFA). The City of Clearwater has taken the CFFA to impasse on their contract negotiation.

To date, the CFFA has won 5 grievances and 6 Unfair Labor Practices against the City, resulting in a waste of over $500,000 in taxpayer money. There are still 26 pending grievances and a sexual discrimination civil suit against the city that has yet to be settled. This will result in more costs for the Clearwater tax payer.

All firefighters and their families are asked to avoid the area at all costs. if you must drive through the area, please spend your money before or after you enter the county.

This boycott also extends to the Florida Firefighter Olympics, scheduled to be held in Clearwater next year. The officials running the games have ignored requests to move the games in an effort to further line their pockets with firefighter money as the host city continues to abuse its firefighters.

For more information, visit the Clearwater Firefighters online at www. saveclearwaterfire. org.

Please pass this along to all of your contacts.

Thank you.