HAVERHILL — Labor unions representing police officers, firefighters and school workers have been on the defensive in recent months.
Union leaders have blamed city leaders for contracts now considered too generous by some. They have rejected requests to take unpaid days off and pay more for health care to help the city with its budget problems. They have waged political battle with Mayor James Fiorentini over his various efforts and proposals to curb spending at the expense of city employees.
Now it appears the unions are ready to fight back — in Haverhill's biggest political forum.
Three union leaders and two other city employees are among 21 residents who have taken out nomination papers to run for City Council or School Committee in the fall election.
Running for election gives candidates an elevated platform to air their opinions publicly and take on the mayor. If elected, they have a direct say over city spending and other public policy decisions.
The list of those taking nomination papers so far includes three challengers and one incumbent for three available School Committee seats, and 10 challengers and seven incumbents for nine City Council spots.
The union leaders are Stephen Iannalfo, president of the patrolmen's union; Fred Simmons, president of the school custodian's union; and Deputy fire Chief Lewis Poore.
Poore, a member of the firefighters union, is a former president of that group. He is also on the Haverhill Retirement Board and is the fire union's representative to the city's Insurance Advisory Board. He has been a critic of Fiorentini's push for union health care concessions.
Other city workers who have taken papers include firefighter James Jardine for City Council and William Evans, a worker in the school maintenance department, for School Committee. Jardine also owns Mr. K's Auto School in Haverhill. He is a member of the firefighters union.
Not an organized pushback
Fire Captain Paul Weinburgh, president of the firefighters union, said he is unaware of an "orchestrated effort" by unions or city workers to run for elected office.
"Like anyone else who decided to run, I think they don't like the direction the city is going in and they think they can add something and are willing to step up," Weinburgh said of the firefighters and other city workers who have taken out nomination papers.
Poore and Iannalfo have each cast themselves as political adversaries of Fiorentini, who is being challenged for re-election by John Michitson, a former City Council president. Poore is eligible to retire from the Fire Department in July. Iannalfo is a 22-year veteran of the police force.
Neither Poore nor Iannalfo returned phone calls and e-mails seeking comment for this story. Iannalfo previously told The Eagle-Tribune he is still deciding whether to run.
City employees, with the exception of police officers, are eligible for elected office, but they are not allowed to collect a check for the elected position. They are also supposed to avoid voting on matters that pertain to their city jobs or could affect their city pay.
Haverhill Police Department rules specifically prohibit an officer from serving as an elected official, City Solicitor William Cox said. The police chief would have to propose changing that rule, and the mayor would have to approve the change, before Iannalfo could serve on the council, Cox said.
Fiorentini said he would approve changing the police rules, but that he has not yet been asked to do so.
Several longtime Haverhill political observers said they could not recall a city employee serving on the School Committee or City Council.
Councilors are paid $8,000 annually and School Committee members $5,000 a year. Both groups gave back portions of their pay this year, however, to help with the city's financial problems.
Lawyer joins School race
Well-known Haverhill attorney Paul Magliocchetti has also taken out nomination papers for School Committee, joining Simmons, Evans and incumbent Joseph Bevilacqua.
Magliocchetti, a Haverhill native who has three children, ages 4, 13 and 11, said he is still discussing a potential School Committee bid with his wife. He shares an office with Attorney James Waldron, a former Haverhill mayor who represents several developers in the city.
The seats of School Committee members Kerry Fitzgerald and Erin Francescone, along with Bevilacqua's, are up for grabs. Neither Fitzgerald nor Francescone have taken out papers yet.
Residents have until July 28 to return nomination papers with signatures of 50 Haverhill voters to have their names placed on the ballot.
If there are at least 19 candidates for council, there will be a preliminary election Sept. 15. There must be at least seven candidates for School Committee to trigger a preliminary contest in that race on the same date. The election finals are Nov. 7.
On the council, only James Donahue has said he will not seek re-election. The only other councilor not to yet take out papers is David Hall, but he has said he intends to run for re-election. Hall, 71, is a former Haverhill police officer.
The council field widens
Others who have taken out nomination papers for council are potential challengers Daniel Langlois, Michael Young, Christian Miller, Norman Milhendler, Carlos Maldonado, Sven Amirian and Colin LePage.
Amirian, 37, who operates Boston Green Realty, is the son of former longtime Haverhill City Solicitor Ashod Amirian.
LePage, who ran unsuccessfully for council two years ago, is an active member of the Riverside-Bradford Baseball League. He also serves on the city's Cable Television Advisory Committee.
Maldonado is a Fitchburg State College graduate who is employed in retail banking. He was born in Puerto Rico and said he moved to Haverhill when he was a year and a half old.
Milhendler, 71, lives at Penacook Place. He ran for Haverhill City Council 40 years ago and placed 11th out of 18 candidates, he said. Before retirement, he worked as a cleaner at Hale Hospital, was employed at some of the shoe factories and also had a job at a convenience store. For 18 years, Milhendler served on the board of directors for Community Action.
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These people have taken out election nomination papers for this year's Haverhill election:
City Council (two-year term)
Challengers
James Jardine
Christian Miller
Michael Young
Stephen Iannalfo
Sven Amirian
Carlos Maldonado
Daniel Langlois
Colin LePage
Norman Milhendler
Lewis Poore
Incumbents
Kenneth Quimby
William Ryan
Mary Ellen Daly O'Brien
Michael McGonagle
William Macek
Michael Hart
Robert Scatamacchia
School Committee (four-year term)
Challengers
Paul Maglioccetti
William Evans
Fred Simmons
Incumbents
Joseph Bevilacqua
Note: Nomination papers are available until and must be returned by July 28
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