Wisconsin Firefighters Want Union President Ousted for Racial Slur

Members of seven union locals representing members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin called for union president Rick Gale's resignation Monday night after reports he made a racial slur against President-elect Barack Obama.

Gale admitted using the N-word the day after Obama was elected as the first African-American president of the United States, said Joe Conway, president of PFFW Local 311 in Madison.

Monday's meeting of the union locals, one of five Metro Caucus Groups within the PFFW, came after Gale agreed to issue a written apology to union members for what an executive board memo termed an "insensitive" and "politically incorrect" comment.

"We condemn (Gale's comment) and do not believe his words reflect the feelings of the members of the PFFW," said caucus spokesman Patrick Kilbane, reading from a statement issued Monday night in Janesville.

Anything short of Gale's resignation will result in charges against him being filed with the International Association of Firefighters and withdrawal of the south and southeastern Wisconsin caucus group from the PFFW, Kilbane said.

Gale, also a member of the State of Wisconsin Retirement Board, did not return telephone messages Monday seeking comment.

Will attend counseling

According to the memo from the PFFW executive board to union members, Gale, who is white, also agreed to attend "appropriate education and/or counseling" as directed by the union's executive board.

The board adopted a motion calling for the apology, education and counseling at a special meeting Saturday in Fond du Lac called on the incident.

According to the memo, Gale made the remark Nov. 5 while he and several union board members were watching a television news report on Obama's election.

After an anonymous caller to PFFW Local 311 in Madison the next day reported that Gale made the comment, the board scheduled the special meeting.

At the meeting, Gale acknowledged "using a single, politically incorrect term," accepted responsibility and apologized to the board.

The union memo notes that Gale worked on Obama's Wisconsin campaign.

A telephone call to the union's office in Madison on Monday was referred to its lobbyist, Joe Strohl, who was unavailable for comment.

Bobbie Webber, president of the Milwaukee Professional Fire Fighters Association, referred to Gale's alleged use of the N-word and said, "You can't say anything to make it right to me."

Webber is African-American.

The Milwaukee union is not affiliated with the state union.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service.