Firefighters from coast to coast are mourning the death of Michael Mullane, a longtime labor leader remembered as a legendary old-school negotiator who fought for the rights of his front-line constituents.
“Mike Mullane was a leader. He was always by my side when I was learning the ropes, and I always looked up to him,” said Rich Paris, president of Boston Firefighters Local 718. “He was a mentor, a great guy and a great friend. He cared about the union and his fellow firefighters.”
Mullane, 68, died early yesterday morning surrounded by friends and family, according to Paris. He was a Boston firefighter for more than four decades. Mullane also represented the International Association of Firefighters in the 3rd District for more than 30 years as vice president.
“He was passionate about what he did, and he was the driving force for a lot of the legislation that protects firefighters’ rights and benefits,” said Boston fire Commissioner Joseph Finn. “He was always concerned about families and making sure they were protected.”
Finn said it’s typical for four or five members of the department’s color guard to take part in funerals for fallen firefighters — though he expects it will be a little different for Mullane.