Ivain Receives Endorsement from Firefighters

https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2021/10/21/campaign-notebook-torringtons-ivain-receives-nod-f

Campaign Notebook: Torrington’s Ivain receives nod from union BY BRUNO MATARAZZO JR. AND KURT MOFFETT REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN October 21, 2021

TORRINGTON — Democratic mayoral challenger Steven Ivain on Wednesday received the endorsement of the Torrington firefighters’ union. Ivain posted a letter from the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut endorsing his run for mayor. The endorsement came “following the recommendation of our legislative committee and at the request of the Torrington Firefighters Local 1567,” according to the letter written by Peter S. Carozza, state association president. “I am honored to have the enthusiastic endorsement of our local fire department,” Ivain wrote in a Facebook post. “I want to work together with all of our firefighters to strategize ways to improve their benefit package and increase retention within our department.” The union has endorsed candidates in the past, but mostly for state election. Members frequently have endorsed state Rep. Michelle L. Cook, D-Torrington. The shift comes after Ivain’s support for improving benefits packages for police and firefighters. Pensions for new firefighters ended in 2009 and for police in 2018. Since then, the two departments lost nine firefighters and 10 police officers to other departments with pensions. Greg Wityak, president of the Torrington police union, said that union won’t be making any endorsements. Mayor Elinor C. Carbone, a Republican seeking a third term, said the firefighters’ union endorsement is “not a surprise” because unions lean Democratic. She credited the professionalism the firefighters bring to the department, especially in the past two years during the pandemic.