The following letter is District A Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis’ response to a Candidate Questionnaire sent to her by Robert Mannix, President of Watertown Fire Fighters Local 1347 (see the Fire Union Letter and Questionnaire below):
Dear Mr. Mannix:
Please be advised, on 03/19/15, Thomas A. McManus, Kevin MacDonald, Stephan Ciara and Watertown Fire Fighters, International Assoc. of Fire Fighters, Local 1347, the Plaintiffs, filed Civil Action No. 15-1551 in the County of Middlesex, Trial Court of Massachusetts, Superior Court Dept. The Defendants are the City of Watertown; Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll, and nine individually named City of Watertown Council, inclusive of myself.
On the advise of my legal counsel, because of the aforenoted litigation, I am precluded from replying to the 08/03/15 Candidate’s Questionnaire. As stated in the cover letter of the document, the response to the Questionnaire was to be forwarded to your attention by 08/14/15.
As a point of information, alongside other local residents who assert their families’ affiliation with unions, I also have a long standing family relationship with unions. My almost 97 year young mother herein confirms she too put food on our family’s table for over 25 years as a fully vested member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWA), AFL-CIO-CLC. We fully acknowledge and support the need for unions and the strength that unions offer to working families.
Sincerely,
Angeline B. Kounelis
Evangelia Kounelis
Councilor – Thank you for your response and your family history in Union involvement. It was a simple request, fill the survey out or don’t fill it out. Thank you.
Rob Mannix
Watertown Firefighters