Labor and Union Issues
Lorain County leaders say the formal recognition will boost access to mental-health resources, training and protections
Firefighter union and civic leaders demanded halts to battery-energy storage systems near homes and firehouses, citing safety and response concerns
The $90 million, four-year agreement adds longevity step raises and streamlines paid details, changes city and union leaders say will support retention and strengthen operations
Newark Firefighters Union President Chuck West said employees should be given the option of being tested continuously for COVID-19 or getting the vaccine
Union attorney: Morgantown firefighters are owed more than the $1.7 million settlement offer proposed by the city
Dept. of Public Safety prepares to “hold people accountable” to meet COVID-19 vaccination deadline
Local 67, which represents Columbus firefighters, alleges that the city did not fairly negotiate the most-recent contract with the union
When asked about union pushback on the decision, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city has a right to require that its workforce gets vaccinated or tested
Van Buren union leaders said they oppose the policy and estimate 20% of the township’s police and fire officials might quit as a result
The city of Pharr has reached a collective bargaining agreement with fire unions, making way for incremental pay increases and organizational modifications
The terms include a 4% increase for firefighter/EMT classifications, a 2% increase for paramedics and a 1% increase for EMTs
The Uniformed Firefighters Association sent a message to members saying it’s too soon celebrate a crisis that has not yet passed
After an unsatisfactory meeting, the Toledo fire union put up a message to the public on a billboard: “Your fire dept. is dangerously understaffed today”
The Portsmouth Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedic Association said the area is at risk due to responder staffing levels
A Newark firehouse was dedicated to David Lee Bolden, William Thomas Jr., and Shelton Harris Jr.
Newark’s fire and police unions raised concerns about training, equipment and compensation related to the new response plan
The Portsmouth union members are among the first government employees in Virginia to request collective bargaining since the ban was lifted May 1
A fire captain and two firefighters had been terminated after reporting sexual assault allegations against the chief
Union members said low pay, competition with other departments and longer fire seasons have hampered hiring efforts
City first responders have been eligible to get the vaccine since January
The former Buffalo firefighter-EMT says he was fired under an outdated collective bargaining agreement
The Durham union said it can take as long as 10 minutes for firefighters to be dispatched to a call
An attorney for members of the Morgantown firefighters’ union said the lawsuit is the latest escalation in the city’s “war” on the fire department
Firefighters shared emotional testimony to the state legislature about their struggles with traumatic calls
IAFF Local 734 shared an audio clip of someone saying there were no units to send to the scene of a quadruple shooting
The La Verne Fire Station No. 3 was closed in January 2020 due to a staffing shortage
Under the bill, first responders no longer need to prove their stress was unusual compared to their coworkers’ to receive compensation
The confrontation led to a criminal charge against Ogdensburg Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly
Whitehall Assistant Fire Chief Jim Brooks Jr. died four months after suffering a ruptured aorta while on duty
A federal court will rule whether a Black Kansas City firefighter was fired in retaliation for reporting harassment and discrimination
The new law allows public safety workers who reach 20 years of service within the next two years to retire with a pension, regardless of their age
The bill further protects female firefighters by adding breast cancer and ovarian cancer to the list of qualifying diseases
Union officials and other supporters opposed the ban, saying the dogs bring comfort to firefighters after difficult calls