Tag Archives: collective bargaining

Indy Firefighters Sue over Changes to Health Care

Indianapolis firefighters and police unions have filed suit against the city seeking to block a proposed change in health care. IAFF Local 416 and FOP Lodge 86 claim that the city’s unilateral change from the current Advantage HMO plan to a health saving account violates the terms of their collective bargaining agreements.

Retaliation Over the Formation of a Union

Today’s burning question: I work part-time for a small fire department in a state that recognizes collective bargaining for firefighters. We are in the process of filing a petition with state labor relations board to become recognized by the township for collective bargaining purposes. We have enough members to form the union and we have all signed the union election petition. Rumor has it that the trustees have found out and plan to terminate our internet/WiFi access, stop letting us wash our cars at the station, put renovations of the fire station on hold, and even cancel the purchase of a new engine.

Automatic Aid Agreements Challenged as Contracting Out – Texas

The Austin Fire Department is being sued by the Austin Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 975, over automatic (mutual) aid agreements that the city recently entered into that call for the closest units to an incident to respond. IAFF Local 975 ...

Part-Time Firefighters Allowed to Organize in Pennsylvania

A hearing examiner for the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board has concluded that part-time firefighters for the Borough of Emmaus are not volunteers and eligible to organize. The ruling by Hearing Examiner John Pozniak allows full and part-time firefighters up to ...

Pennsylvania Volunteers Seeking to Unionize

Today’s burning question: Me and my buddies are volunteer firefighters… sort of. We get paid a stipend for volunteering. I suppose that makes us paid volunteers if there is such a thing. So anyway, we want to form a union ...

State Labor Board Rules North Kingstown Guilty of Bad Faith Bargaining

The long awaited written decision by the Rhode Island State Labor Board has been issued and it is a ringing victory for the beleaguered North Kingstown Firefighters, IAFF Local 1651, and a stinging defeat for the town. The firefighters had ...

Florida Arbitration Award Draws the Ire of Elected Officials

An arbitrator’s ruling that essentially granted firefighters what their contract said they were entitled to, has drawn sharp criticism from elected officials in Charlotte County, Florida. The criticism was so vitriolic that one county commissioner, Robert Skidmore, accused the firefighters ...

Philly Firefighters File New Action to End 2009 Stalemate

IAFF Local 22 has once again taken the City of Philadelphia to court over the 2009 collective bargaining agreement that remains unresolved. The union has thus far prevailed at every decision point, yet Mayor Michael Nutter continue to defy arbitration ...

Florida Local Seeks to Exclude Lieutenants from Bargaining Unit

It is an issue that firefighters and politicians can never seem to agree on: should officers be in the same bargaining unit as firefighters. That is the issue in Columbia County, Florida as the newly formed IAFF Local 4895 seeks to ...

Jacksonville Firefighters Hit With Second Discrimination Lawsuit

On the heels of a major discrimination lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice against the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department and Jacksonville Firefighters, IAFF Local 122, the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission has filed separate discrimination suit against IAFF ...

Ohio Ethics Commission Investigates Conflict in Bargaining Case

Today’s burning question: I am an elected official and my son is an IAFF firefighter who serves in the community that I represent. Can I get in trouble if I am involved in negotiations, or I vote to approve an ...

RI Supreme Court Issues Long Awaited Rule on Non Lawyer Union Rep

Last Thursday, the Rhode Island Supreme Court issued a long awaited ruling on the legality of non-lawyer union officials representing local unions in grievance arbitrations. In In re Town of Little Compton, the court concluded that it is permissible for ...

Omaha Firefighters Claim City Council Interference Constitutes Bargaining in Bad Faith

Omaha firefighters have accused the city council of bargaining in bad faith, and have filed a complaint with the Nebraska Commission on Industrial Relations. The Professional Firefighters of Omaha, IAFF Local 385, reached a tentative pact with the city last ...

Baltimore city accused of underfunding the pension system – Fire and police unions file lawsuit

Baltimore City’s fire and police unions have filed suit in Federal court against the city of Baltimore alleging that chronic underfunding of the pension system has created a financial nightmare for the pension system, breached their collective bargaining agreements, and ...

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