Firefighters union puts support behind Caldwell

The Hawaii Fire Fighters Association endorsed Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s re-election bid Tuesday despite acknowledged disagreements with the incumbent.

The support comes just more than a month before the Nov. 8 general election. HFFA is the last of the four unions that represent city government workers to formally announce its backing of Caldwell against former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou, who has also received a handful of union endorsements.

“There are no perfect politicians, just like there are no perfect union leaders,” HFFA President Bobby Lee said during a news conference. He did not elaborate on the disagreements with Caldwell specifically, but he pointed out that the union has had strained relations with Fire Chief Manuel Neves for several years.

The chief is chosen by the Fire Commission, whose five members are appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. Neves was appointed in February 2013, just weeks after Caldwell became mayor.

“We believe in (Caldwell). He does a good job, he does the best he can and his door has always been open to try to help us resolve the issues,” Lee said.

HFFA represents roughly 2,000 county and federal firefighters, 1,100 of whom are employed by the Honolulu Fire Department.