If, as the classic 1980s TV commercial advises, you’re looking for the union label, you’re not likely to find it on Hawaii firefighters uniforms any time soon.
State and county ethics boards are advising against a Hawaii Fire Fighters Association request to allow firefighters to affix an HFFA emblem to their helmets and uniform shoulders. The union, representing all state and county firefighters in the state, has added the clause as part of its contract negotiations currently ongoing at the state level.
But the Hawaii State Commission on Ethics is advising against the practice, saying it would violate state ethics laws governing fair treatment, in particular the portion that bars using an employee’s or officer’s official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages, including “using state time, equipment or other facilities for private business purposes.”