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International Association of Fire Fighters - Official Position On Smoke Alarms - October, 2008
International Association of Fire Fighters - Official Position On Smoke Alarms - October, 2008
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ON THEGOVER:
IAFF49th Convention
RespectingTradition,Embracing
" "'..20
the Future,...,......,.....,..,....
Workingto Death
Heartattacksremainnumber-onekiller """"""16
Midwest Underwater
theclock
workaround
fAFFlocals """22
GonventionResolutions '..'.....""'34GeneralSecretary'Treasurer'sMessage
A FireFighterFriendlyCandidate """7
Retirees. """"'48
ln Memoriam/LastAlarm """""50
On The Gover
IAFF 49th Convention
Las Vegas,Nevada
August10-15
-story page 20
JulylAugust 2008
I Local Scene
Martin raisedmore than $2 million' some of his former teammates and
Edgerton Fire Fighters Additionally, three medical organizations colleaguesfrom the National Football
Settle Suit haveagreedto match everydollar Martin Leagu-e,local government officials and
collecti,bringing his total amount raised ,poirorr. Fire fighters, EMT personnel and
ollowing a five-yearlegalbattle,three police also attended.
to at least$4 million.
Edgertonfire fightersand Edgerton, A seriesof medical studies show exposure
Martin saysthe journey waswell worth
WiLocal 580havesettleda union "I about the to Ground Zero has led to serious,
it. wantedto raiseawareness
discriminationlawsuitagainstthe plight of the peopleI call true heroes'the long-term medical problems in thousands
EdgertonFire ProtectionDistrict (EFPD)' hri t.tpottders and the rescueand of rescue workers.
Fire fightersKennethCrandall,Arnold ,".ou.r| workerswho worked unselfishly George Martin was a star defensive end
Lund Jr]and Mark Backeswereterminated and to find the remains
to help savepeople"They and colcaptain of the SuPer Bowl .
in Juneof 2003afterjoining Local580and of others,"hi says. didn't think twice Champion NewYork Giants (1986)' He
demandingcollectivebargainingwith the about helping us. Thkingthis journey was is also a former president of the NFL
EFPD.Onlhe heelsof EFPD'stermination me doing mYPart to helPthem"' PlayersAssociation. r
decision,Local580brought suit under At the finish line celebrationin
Wisconsin'sMuniciPal EmPloYment EmbarcaderoPark,Martin wasjoined by
RelationsAct. The IAFF quickly took on
the caseunder its EmergencyDisputeFund
(EDF) policY,which ProvidesIAFF
memberswith legalrepresentation'
The WisconsinEmploymentRelations
Commission(WERC),the stateagency
chargedwith enforcementof the Municipal
EmpioymentRelationsAct, concludedthe
nfpp actedunlawfully when it refusedto
negotiateover wages,hours and conditions
of"employmentfor its fire fightersand,
instead,unlawfully relied on anti-union
hostility to terminatethem.
The nppp appealedthe WERC'sdecision
to the RockCblnty Circuit Court, wherethe
WERCdecisionwasupheld.The EFPDthen
appealedto the WisconsinCourt of Appeals'
*hi.h alsosustainedthe WERC'sdecision'
The WisconsinCourt of Appealsheld
"substantialevidence"to
that therewas
supportthe WERC'sconclusionthat the
declslonto terminate the three fire fighters
"hostility
was motivated in part by EFPD's
to union activities."
The WisconsinSupremeCourt denied
the EFPD'sPetitionfor review.
Bringingthe matterto a close,the three
fire fi{nters and Local 580 haveaccepteda
settlementof nearly$600,000in backpay
and attorneYsfees.
"It took five yearsto bring justiceto the
Edgertonthree,and we haverighted a very
,.rttt wrongi'saysI.AFF5th District Field
ServiceRepresentative and Local580member
"This is a significantwin for
PatrickKilbutt..
thesethreefire fightersand the entireIAFF
membershipasit demonstrateswhat an
effectiveunion can do to enforcelegd'
protectionsand securejusticefor members"'