The Right to Fight

Our union’s official logo is emblazoned with the date February 28, 1918. On that date, more than 85 years ago, 36 fire fighter delegates attended the first IAFF Convention and adopted our great union’s original Constitution and By-Laws.

Throughout those 85 years, the IAFF has worked to ensure and protect the rights of fire fighters who put their lives on the line every day to safeguard the citizens of our two nations.

Today, the IAFF has more than 2,900 local affiliates, representing 265,000 fire fighters and emergency medical personnel in more than 5,500 cities, towns, counties and communities in every state in the United States and across Canada.

This union has fought on behalf of our members in political battles, against legal threats and in defense of worker rights and safety throughout our history. Today, I am proud to say that we are an even more formidable force in battling and beating injustices for our members.

Despite our great progress, our duty to fight for our members’ rights is a never-ending commitment, wherever, whenever and however they are jeopardized. We will forever stand on the front lines to fight for our members’ rights, from legislative battles to threats against free speech and other union activities.

The IAFF has never backed down; in fact, we are more aggressive than ever in making sure that the interests of professional fire fighters are at the forefront.

In 2001, the IAFF introduced the Legal Guardian Policy, which makes available, with the IAFF’s financial support, direct legal representation from the General Counsel’s Office in protecting union leaders and activists who have been subjected to retaliation for engaging in union-related activities or speaking out on matters of public concern affecting union members.

This program also provides legal assistance in cases that are expected to be precedent-setting because of their impact on other IAFF affiliates and members.

The Legal Guardian Policy has worked in dozens of cases for our members, and it continues to pay dividends. In just the last couple of months, we have used legal actions under the Guardian Policy to revoke a gag order that prevented J.R. Lilienthal, president of Suffolk, VA Local 2801, and his members from talking about fire department issues with members of their city council, and to fully reinstate the employment rights of three leaders of San Luis, AZ Local 1234 who had been terminated, demoted and reprimmanded, respectively, for speaking out on matters of public concern and for engaging in legitimate political activities.

These cases are detailed on pages 35 and 36 of this edition of the IAFF magazine. And, they are a clear demonstration of the power and influence our combined strength gives to fire fighters and IAFF leaders in stations across the United States and Canada.

This summer, the IAFF is kicking off a new program to meet the needs of those who have helped build our proud tradition of fighting for and protecting the rights our union members — our retired professional fire fighters.

IAFF Alumni will offer retirees who are not eligible to become Active-Retired IAFF members the opportunity to remain affiliated with the union and enjoy a number of benefits.

This program recognizes the contributions of our retirees whose hard work and courage shaped much of what our union has accomplished. Through the IAFF Alumni program, retirees can continue to serve their union and the fire service. The full scope of the new program is described in this issue on page 27.

I am proud to say that, whether retired or active, all of our members can count on the IAFF to stand up for our interests and protect our rights. And every day, we are looking for new and more innovative ways to protect you on the job and throughout the retirement you work so hard for.

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