Youngstown Firefighters Demand City Reconsider Outcome of Investigation into Fire Chief

Youngstown Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 312 is demanding that the city reconsider its findings following an investigation into Fire Chief Barry Finley. Local 312 filed a complaint over the chief’s comments and actions during a labor management meeting on September 6, 2024.

The union accused the chief of making racist comments. The city refused to take disciplinary action against the chief, concluding that what occurred was “the result of years of racial discrimination” by the union. Mayor Jamael Tito Brown publicly pledged his support for Chief Finley, attributing what occurred to “an environment of continuous tension and distrust between union and department leadership, and a history of antagonistic behavior towards Chief Finley.”

In a letter to Youngstown Law Director Lori Shell Simmons, Local 312 President Jon Racco and Vice President Jordan Thomas demanded the city reconsider its decision. They questioned the fairness of the investigation and went on to list numerous complaints the union brought forth that had not been addressed. Those complaints and the factual basis for the September 6, 2024 incident are included in the letter (copy below).