Labor and Union Issues
A 30-year veteran Riverside firefighter, nearing retirement, suffered multiple pelvic fractures after being struck by a car while fighting a brush fire
Former Flint Fire Chief Raymond Barton claims he was fired for refusing to alter findings after a house fire where firefighters allegedly failed to search a room where two children later died
Wash. firefighters face discipline over Pride parade participation, flag display and viral cat cameo
Spokane firefighters are under review after allowing a cat and its owner inside a fire truck and displaying a Pride flag, sparking debate over policy, inclusion and political expression
The council reversed the mayor’s plan to move firefighters from 24-hour shifts to eight-hour rotating shifts last week
The town received mutual aid 511 times this year and firefighters say they rely on a neighboring department almost daily
The New York union says the 14 firefighters who were laid off were not determined by seniority and were divided into two lists based on Spanish-speaking ability
The city’s mayor still may veto the decision and seek to enforce the eight-hour shift schedule that union members say is detrimental
Fire official disputes Ind. city’s claims of cost savings in controversial firefighter shift changes
East Chicago’s mayor and fire chief said similar changes were successful in Washington D.C., but a D.C. fire official said this claim was inaccurate
Austin firefighters’ union representatives said harassment complaints were minimized or “swept under the rug”
Many departments need community support for financial or organizational requests – and this requires a different type of preplanning and action
The Andover Firefighters Union unanimously voted “no confidence” in Chief Michael Mansfield and published a letter of what they say are examples of poor management
LAFD spokesman Peter Sanders said the department relies on overtime as part of its “constant staffing” model
The jury awarded Pvt. Judi Imhoff $150,000 related to gender discrimination, but jurors denied claims of discrimination made by a retired captain
The 35-page agreement sets the daily staffing goal of no fewer than 14 firefighters assigned to duty each day
Judge Gallagher ruled that city officials must conduct “competitive examinations and make promotions within the fire department”
Since the county went from four 911 centers to one, costs have increased, staff have unionized and technology is blamed for dispatch delays
The image comes on the heels of an accused culture of gender and racial discrimination at the fire department under Chief Brian Byrd’s reign
President Gerard Fitzgerald and other union officials held a press conference to help make sure the city lives up to its promise to “Never Forget”
The union filed a complaint alleging that Chief Angelo Calvillo had committed a misdemeanor crime by violating provisions in the city’s charter
A recent government study of 15 agencies found they struggle with too few firefighters, not enough money and ambulance services that are stretched thin
The firefighters say Chief Angelo Calvillo violated the city’s charter, which bars civil-service employees from political activity, and should be fired
Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks was targeted in a lawsuit that accused the city of paying him and union members for duties outside of work
The city’s negotiating team will take over and negotiate with the Watertown Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 191 over the stipulation that 15 firefighters must be on duty at all times
The Santa Maria Firefighters Union alleges the civil rights of union leaders were violated when the city investigated them over what they contend was legally-protected speech
The union’s request came less than a week after a state district judge ruled Proposition B unconstitutional and void
Officials ordered the ongoing “organizational analysis” after a union survey last year showed widespread discontent in the ranks
Many of the new firefighters will begin work at Houston fire stations as early as Saturday.
The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association quickly said it would appeal the judge’s ruling, and later filed a “notice of appeal” with her court
The crackdown comes two weeks after the city council approved laying off more than 300 city workers, which included firefighters
The IAFF became the first union to endorse Biden, announcing it last Monday at the candidate’s first campaign stop in Pittsburgh
What the union has requested, including implementing a DROP program and improving pension and other benefits, would require a tax increase if all done in one year
Raising concerns over safety and poor leadership, the union called upon the Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator Thomas Guerino to suspend the chief
A state district judge ordered the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and Mayor Sylvester Turner to enter mediation over the implementation of the measure