16th District Partnership Education Program

Local Union Administration (2 hours)
Designed to help affiliate leaders achieve goals for their locals, this course teaches the skills necessary to be effective in any role as a union officer. Information is provided on the duties of each local union officer, as well as the responsibilities of the executive board and other committees within the local. It will also acquaint participants with the various services and assistance available from the IAFF.

Staffing for Safety: An Introduction (2 hours)
Fire suppression and emergency medical activities are labor-intensive jobs that require an adequate number of fire fighters on scene to safely and effectively protect property and save lives. Studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and updates to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 standards have shown that inadequate staffing can result in unnecessary loss of life and property and serious injury to fire fighters and the citizens they protect. In this workshop, you will be introduced to standards and studies that indicate best practices regarding staffing and that help you make decisions regarding staffing in your community.

Frontline Union Representative Basics (2 hours)
This workshop addresses the knowledge and skills involved in effectively enforcing contract provisions and representing workers’ rights within your fire service management and jurisdiction. It will introduce and explore the issues and best practices involved in handling grievances, enforcing contract language and handling discipline issues. Additionally, this workshop reviews ways that key union personnel can inform membership on the benefits of union membership and active involvement.

Introduction to Grievances (2 hours)
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members perceive you. A good understanding of the grievance process will better enable you to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and avoid costly arbitration hearings. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate and file a grievance, reduce your chances of receiving a DFR claim and develop effective grievance strategies. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Local Union Governance (2 hours)
Through its constitution and by-laws, your local establishes its basic organization, including the duties and responsibilities of your local union officers, executive board and committees, as well as the various procedures that govern different types of meetings. Your local’s constitution and by-laws should provide the precepts necessary for governing your members. It should meet their needs, as well as be flexible for reasonable and future change. In this module, you will learn the important aspects of your local’s constitution and by-laws and be given tools to understand how this document influences your role as a union leader and how to properly govern your local based on this important text.

Duty of Fair Representation (2 hours)
As an affiliate leader, you may be subject to a legal standard, known as duty of fair representation (DFR), that governs how you represent your members in contract negotiations, grievances and other labor matters. In this workshop, you will study relevant case law to learn what is required of you, how the courts have applied this standard to unions, the consequences of violating the standard and best practices to avoid DFR lawsuits.

Discipline: Your Rights and Responsibilities as Union Officers (2 hours)
This workshop will provide union leaders with an overview of their rights and responsibilities during the employment disciplinary process. Union leaders will learn how to best represent their members in accordance with their contract, civil service laws and the Weingarten, Loudermill and Garrity decisions. This workshop is applicable to affiliate leaders in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining environments.

Social Media Legal Issues and Best Practices (2 hours)
While social media can be a powerful tool for positioning your local within the community and generating goodwill, it only takes one mistake or one bad apple to hurt your brand. Explore the social and legal issues pertaining to proper and improper use of social media, as well as the legal ramifications, limitations, and policies that can affect your members and your department.