Morning after article about his Twitter battle with union, fire chief says his tire was slashed
Some of you will remember Wilmington (DE) Fire Department Chief Anthony Goode from the story we did after he used an ax to broke out windows of a vehicle blocking access to a hydrant. The chief is making news again, but this time it’s because of the smartphone in his hands, rather than an ax.
Yesterday (Thursday), The News Journal did an article about Chief Goode using Twitter, over the last week or so, in what appears to be a heated battle with members of IAFF Local 1590. The local is in its fourth year without a contract.
Today, Chief Goode tweeted at 8:11 a.m. that a tire on his pickup truck, parked at his home, was slashed. There is no indication of any connection between the article and the vandalism.
Left house to start day & noticed my trucks tire had been slashed. Changed tire & reviewed security. #NightOwlPro pic.twitter.com/9LpZngph6o
— Anthony S. Goode (@AnthonySGoode) March 18, 2016
Here’s an excerpt from the article by Esteban Parra, followed by tweets from Chief Goode. I urge you to read the entire article to get a more complete sense of the issues:
In a March 13 tweet, Goode took a swipe at union members after one of them, Joey Leonetti Jr., posted a photo and commented: “We are Proud we are Strong. Our Administration will not break us down. Union strong we stand for the men and women of the Wilmington Fire Dept. We won’t walk behind someone who says they don’t care about us or our family. Hopefully we will walk behind a new leader next year. Local 1590 strong and proud.”
Union officials said Goode has posted positive items about the department and its firefighters. He even tweeted how the union worked to prevent positions from being cut by Wilmington City Council. But recent tweets have created an atmosphere of confusion and concern.
In recent days, more of Goode’s posts appear to be taking aim at firefighters:
- March 14 – “To all those frauds who needed this or that from me all while turning the knife slowly in my back! Stop it tickles!”
- March 13 – “Should employers turn a blind eye towards employees who openly violate Rules, Regulations & Hiring Requirements?”
- March 12 – “How soon they forget you bailing them out, saving their jobs & their asses! Let’s see where your disloyal ass turn now! #I got you!”
Goode said these were not attacks at workers, simply his own personal opinions.
Below are tweets of Goode’s reaction to the article (read from bottom, up):
More tweets from Chief Goode:
