President-elect Obama
Says 'Don't Cut Fire Fighters'
January 12, 2009 -- In a speech from
George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on January
8, President-elect Barack Obama called on Congress to
act quickly on his economic package which focuses on
investing in priorities like energy and education,
health care and a new infrastructure.
"...[T]he overwhelming majority of the jobs created will
be in the private sector, while our plan will save the
public sector jobs of teachers, police officers,
fire fighters, and
others who provide vital services," he said.
August 28, 2008 – The IAFF has won a
major benefit for its members through the enactment of
legislation expanding student loan forgiveness benefits
for professional fire fighters. H.R. 4137, the Higher
Education Opportunity Act, creates a new program
allowing fire fighters to receive up to $10,000 in
student loan forgiveness and expands Perkins loan
cancellation benefits to fire fighters.
Under one program for service in areas of national need,
professional fire fighters would receive up to $2,000 in
loan forgiveness for each year of employment on or after
August 14, 2008. Benefits will be available for up to
five years, for a potential total of $10,000 in
forgiveness.
News from Danny Todd
May 13, 2008
Today we move a step
closer to having a vote on our Collective bargaining bill. The Senate vote
69- 29 to consider the bill on the Senate floor. After this vote debate
started on the bill this afternoon and will continue tomorrow. You can watch
it on CSPAN 2. It is expected that another cloture vote will be needed to
stop debate and vote the bill up or down. The anticipated 2nd
cloture vote will also require 60 votes for cloture.
See below on how the
senate voted today. A yea vote was for us. A nay was against us. Please take
time to thank those who voted for us. Please refrain from sending
negative messages to Senators who voted against us- THIS BILL IS STILL BEING
DEBATED ON THE SENATE FLOOR! There will be more votes needed and all we need
now is to get the people who voted with us to hold steady.
Fraternally,
Danny L.Todd
14th District V.P.
U.S. Senate Roll
Call Votes 110th Congress - 2nd
Session
as compiled through Senate LIS
by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the
Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary
Question:
On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke
Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 980 )
Vote Number:
126
Vote Date:
May 13, 2008, 12:24 PM
Required For Majority:
3/5
Vote Result:
Cloture Motion Agreed to
Measure Number:
H.R. 980 (Public Safety
Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 )
Measure Title:
A bill to provide collective bargaining rights for
public safety officers employed by States or their
political subdivisions.
October 2, 2007 -- The IAFF’s top legislative
priority, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act,
was introduced in the Senate October 1 with bipartisan support.
Led by Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA), 10
Republicans and 11 Democrats joined together as original
sponsors of the legislation,
S.2123.
The strong showing of bipartisan support was essential to moving
the legislation forward, since major legislation requires a
supermajority 3/5 vote to pass the Senate. Having 10 Republicans
listed as original sponsors is a signal that the legislation has
sufficient support to reach the 3/5 threshold and overcome a
filibuster.
“This is an important step forward in our decade-long effort to
secure bargaining rights for all fire fighters,” says IAFF
General President Harold Schaitberger. “The bipartisan support
for this legislation demonstrates that we have friends in
Congress who champion bargaining rights for all public
employees.”
The next step for the legislation remains unclear. S.2123 was
assigned to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions (known as the HELP Committee), which is chaired by
Senator Kennedy. The Committee could either take up the
legislation directly or seek to attach it to some other
legislation moving through the process.
By
an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 42-1 on June 20, the
Committee approved legislation to guarantee the rights of
firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical service
workers in all 50 states to collectively bargain for better
wages, benefits and working conditions.
More »
Top
row, from left: Brandon Thompson, Rodney “Brad” Baity, Louis Mulkey;
middle row, from left: Mark Kelsey, Mike Benke, William Hutchison;
Bottom row, from left: Melven Champaign, Michael French, and James
Drayton
Harvard study finds deaths
increase even during less-demanding duties
Video
works on
MSNBC
website
only.
Click
link
above
to go to
this
article
and view
video.
MSNBC.com VIDEO
• Cause for alarm 15 firefighters have died at fires where rescuers weren't given a chance to find them quickly. MSNBC.com's Bill Dedman reports.
MSNBC.com
IAFF
and IABPFF Begin Promising Partnership April 20, 2005 – Meeting for the first time in the history of
both organizations, Harold Schaitberger, General President of the IAFF, and
Johnny Brewington, President of the International Association of Black
Professional Fire Fighters (IABPFF), discussed opportunities for collaboration.
Read more...
California Local President Back to Work
IAFF’s Emergency Dispute Fund provides assistance
Another IAFF
member is back on the job after being wrongfully fired by city
officials. When he lost his job, the President of Compton, CA
Local 2216 Tony Branson immediately called upon the
International for assistance. The IAFF answered that call by
making all of its legal resources available.
“I said at our Convention in Boston that the
IAFF’s guiding principle is that an injustice to one of our own
is an injustice to all, and we are going to fight that battle
for our members,” says IAFF General President Harold A.
Schaitberger.
Branson’s problems with Compton Mayor Eric
Perrodin began in 2001 when Local 2216 endorsed incumbent Mayor
Omar Bradley in an election. When Perrodin won the election he
vowed that the IAFF affiliate would suffer severe repercussions
for supporting Bradley.
Perrodin made good on his threat in 2003 after
three new city council members, all of whom supported the mayor,
were elected. Four fire fighters were ultimately displaced from
their positions. Branson was one of the four. In November 2003,
he was placed on administrative leave when the city claimed he
“misused union leave time.” A month later he was fired.
He immediately contacted 10th District Vice
President James Ferguson.
“From then on,” says Branson, “the IAFF never
left my side.” Branson and two other members who were caught in
the crossfire with Mayor Perrodin applied for both Emergency
Displacement Fund (EDF) grants and support from the IAFF
Guardian Policy. All three were awarded EDF grants from the
International.
On October 6, 2004, the arbitrator in Branson’s
case ruled the city’s claim that he improperly used union leave
time was not valid and he was reinstated with full back pay and
benefits.
Local 2216 member Ray Renneker’s case is in
arbitration and member Nikos Hatzakis’ is in Superior Court
because his case included a demotion. Retired member Gary
Hopper, who had been promoted to captain and then demoted for no
apparent reason, won his case and is now receiving Captain’s
grade retirement pay.
“We’ve made it clear to employers that if you
screw with one of ours, you’re going to deal with the wrath of
all of us. “That’s why this International put its full support
behind brother Branson. And now, he’s going back to work,” says
Schaitberger. Branson and the other members affected by the
conflict with Mayor Perrodin are not letting the unjust
situation get them down. “You can’t let situations like this
scare you away from political action,” says the president of
Local 2216. “It’s the only way to secure better benefits and
working conditions for your members. There are laws out there to
protect you. You have to trust that.”
Perrodin reports he will not run for
re-election.
What If It Happens to You?
IAFF members can learn from Branson’s
experience. If it happens to you, there is something you can do,
and the International is there to help. Depending on the nature
of the case local affiliate have two options:
IAFF Guardian Policy: This policy makes the
IAFF General Counsel’s Office available to provide direct
legal representation in qualified cases. when (a) an
affiliate, officer, or a member of a United States or
Canadian affiliate has suffered, or is subject to suffering,
adverse harm by an employer because of his/her union-related
activities; or (b) where a court decision could establish a
precedent that would have a significant impact upon other
IAFF affiliates.
Emergency Disputes Fund (EDF): Under
appropriate circumstances, IAFF affiliates are eligible to
receive financial assistance from the IAFF for costs and
fees incurred by the affiliate in a meritorious court action
where they have used their own local legal counsel.
By
an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 42-1 on June 20, the
Committee approved legislation to guarantee the rights of
firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical service
workers in all 50 states to collectively bargain for better
wages, benefits and working conditions.
Another IAFF
member is back on the job after being wrongfully fired by city
officials. When he lost his job, the President of Compton, CA
Local 2216 Tony Branson immediately called upon the
International for assistance. The IAFF answered that call by
making all of its legal resources available.