Fellow cool kid Steve Buscemi just did a Vegemite-flavoured shoey for Aussie firefighters and slammed the NSW government for giving them an abysmally low pay raise. What a king.
Buscemi, who served as a firefighter in the 1980s before he was a beloved character actor in shows like Boardwalk Empire and Miracle Workers, celebrated our local bushfire heroes in a message for the 110th anniversary of the Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (FBEU).
He said that while he’s tackled burning buildings in Manhattan, nothing could ever be compared to the “extremely unpredictable and dangerous” nature of Australian bushfires.
“Being a city dweller myself I have no idea what it’s like battling bushfires, I only know that it’s extremely unpredictable and dangerous and as we know there is no such thing as a routine fire no matter how experienced you are you can find yourself in a tough spot in the blink of an eye,” he said.
“So I think you deserve the highest praise and the highest pay and so this next part I wish to deliver directly to your state government.”
Buscemi then leaned in to deliver the next and most crucial part of his message: “0.3% pay raise for firefighters? What come on man, come on that’s crazy you can at least give them an 11% pay raise like you do your government ministers.
“So come on and cough it up and don’t you dare think about privatising the fire brigade. Do the right thing.”
According to FBEU NSW state secretary Leighton Drury via the Campbelltown Macarthur Advertiser, the union is negotiating for a 2.5% annual wage increase and has been campaigning since before the devastating bushfire season of summer 2020.
To really carry his message home, the absolute legend did a shoey. But, not just any shoey. A shoey with a spoonful of Vegemite. The writers of Miracle Workers season one were right: Steve Buscemi is God.
Hey mum, can we keep him? Pleaaaase.
Anyway, you can watch the full moment below.
