Labor Law

Prosecutors in the Netherlands are investigating death threats that have been made against the fire chief in Amsterdam. Leen Schaap, a former police chief, was brought in as fire chief to address some serious cultural problems within the Amsterdam Fire Department.

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The Supreme Court of Wyoming has ruled that in a combination fire department, part-time and volunteer firefighters are entitled to vote on whether or not firefighters can form a union. The case involved two IAFF locals, Campbell County Firefighters IAFF Local 5058 and Jackson Hole Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 5067.

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Thirty-seven current and former Martinsburg firefighters have filed suit claiming the city failed to pay them holiday pay in accordance with state law. The suit was filed in Berkeley County Circuit Court by IAFF Local 805 President Mark Stroop on behalf of three captains, six lieutenants, 26 firefighters and two retirees

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In a long-awaited decision, the US Supreme Court has ruled that public-sector unions may not require the payment of an agency fee from non-members. Handed down today in Janus v. AFSCME, the decision was based on the First Amendment concerns of non-union members who objected to having to financially support a union against their beliefs.

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An Illinois city seeking to contract-out emergency medical services from its fire department, is suing to enforce an arbitration ruling allowing its plan to move forward. The City of Mattoon filed suit last week in Coles County Circuit Court against Mattoon Firefighters IAFF Local 691.

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Today’s burning question: What does the term “paid firefighter” mean? Answer: That issue is now before the Supreme Court of Wyoming in a dispute between career firefighters in Jackson Hole and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

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A Kansas firefighter who was suspended without pay pending termination for violating a residency requirement, is now suing the department, his union, the union’s business manager, the union’s attorney and the union’s attorney’s law firm. Todd Coleman filed suit in US District Court last month.

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This past weekend, a local newspaper in California wrote about a nasty dispute between the mayor of the City of La Verne and the La Verne Firefighters, IAFF Local 3624, that has prompted two separate federal court lawsuits in recent months.

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A female firefighter who stole $25,000 from a union-organized toy-drive fund has been sentenced to two days in prison and three years of probation. Holly Kaye Nelson pled no contest to stealing $25,583 from the San Bruno Professional Firefighters Association

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New Haven Firefighters, International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 825, filed suit yesterday against the state IAFF affiliate, the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, Inc. in a dispute over a range of issues between the two organizations.

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Firefighters in Kokomo, Indiana are without a collective bargaining agreement and without the ability to arbitrate a new one following a ruling by a Howard County Superior Court judge last week. The Kokomo Firefighters, IAFF Local 396, filed suit in early December to force the city to arbitrate their interest dispute

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Elgin Association of Firefighters, IAFF Local 439, filed suit last week seeking an injunction to block the city’s plan to cut two positions from minimum shift staffing. The city council voted to eliminate the positions when the collective bargaining agreement ends on December 31, 2017.

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A Rhode Island fire lieutenant who claims he was assaulted in the firehouse by a deputy chief has filed suit in US District Court against the fire department, the firefighters’ union and the deputy chief. Cranston Lieutenant Scott Bergantino filed suit last week naming the City of Cranston, IAFF Local 1363, and Deputy Chief Paul Valletta as defendants.

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Cleveland officials are investigating allegations of cheating on a fire department promotional exam. The test was administered last summer to 147 members seeking promotion to lieutenant and captain.

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