During those two weeks of protests, Conway worked with other union reps to arrange rallies, and later helped organize volunteers during the recall campaigns. The scene in Madison was a familiar one for Conway. At just 9 years old, his father -- a retired firefighter and local union president -- went on strike with other firefighters for three days. That memory became an inspiration, Conway says: He’s been Local 311’s president since 1996.
Since so many firefighters have spouses who work as teachers or government employees, Conway and his union felt strongly about supporting workers. “My job is to make sure that all my members of the local, along with the district, get treated fairly and evenly,” he says. “The only way we can do that is [to] make sure all the other public employees get treated fairly and equally.