Jackson Free Press

Mayor Johnson and Fire Fighters Union Sign Agreement. Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. and General President Harold A. Schaitberger of the International Association of Fire Fighters signed a proposed labor agreement, Tuesday, April 11, 2005.

The proposed agreement will go before the City Council for consideration in a week.

Mayor Johnson was the first Jackson Mayor to recognize the fire fighters union in 1998. This historic signing will mark the first time the City of Jackson executive branch and International Association of Fire Fighters have a proposed formal labor agreement.

"This is a great act of good faith on the part of the IAFF and the city of Jackson," said Mayor Johnson. "I look forward to the long relationship we intend to have with the union."

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the 15th largest union among the 58 national unions that make up the AFL-CIO. The IAFF represents more than 267,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 80 percent of the nation's population. More than 2,900 affiliates and their members protect nearly 6,000 communities in every state in the U.S. and in Canada. The IAFF is one of the most active lobbying organizations in Washington; its Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, is in the top 1 percent of all PACs, ranking in the top 25 among more than 4,500 registered committees. The IAFF has experienced 35 consecutive years of membership growth and is in the top five fastest-growing unions in the AFL-CIO.

Siwell Road Improvement Project Gets Started
Mayor Johnson announced the details of the Siwell Road Improvement Project this week. This $4.6 million project will reconstruct Siwell Road from Oak Creek Subdivision north to Highway 18. The project will four-lane this section of road and install left turn lanes at the intersections.

New sidewalks will constructed, new storm drainage installed and the street will be curbed and guttered.
As part of the project, drainage improvements will be made to Big Creek by installing two box culvers and line the section of the creek with rip rap.

And finally in this phase, a new 24" transmission water main from Raymond Road to Highway 18 will be installed.

NOBLE Conference Held This Weekend
The Jackson Police Department is hosting the National Organization of Black Law Executives spring conference this weekend here in the Capital City. Police Chiefs and law enforcement executives from around the United States are in Jackson for the conference. This is the first time a regional conference will be held in Mississippi. The focus of the two-day conference is "Transitioning from Traditional Policing to Community Oriented Policing and Improving Police Service to the African American Community."

Law enforcement professionals will receive valuable training and engage in information-sharing involving twenty-first century policing challenges.