1st District Partnership Education Program

Cancer Awareness: Tools for Affiliate Leaders (2 hours)
It has been clearly documented in multiple studies that fire fighters are more likely to develop a number of occupational cancers resulting from their exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens over the course of their employment. This workshop will review recent studies on the incidence of cancer in fire fighters and will guide affiliate leaders on the resources available to educate their members on exposure hazards, from fire scene contaminants and diesel exhaust, and the necessity of post-incident decontamination. This workshop will also review the tools necessary to affect personal commitment and organizational accountability to minimize the contraction of occupational cancers.

An Introduction to Behavioral Health (2 hours)
The fire service has traditionally recognized the need for medical and physical fitness. However, the need to further develop knowledge and awareness about common behavioral health issues is also being recognized as an important function within the fire service. This workshop will address the importance of developing a behavioral health program, recognizing common signs of behavioral health conditions, where to obtain outside assistance, as well as understanding and minimizing the barriers and stigmas often associated with seeking support.

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

Disaster Relief: Assisting Members in Preparation and Recovery (2 hours)
When disasters strike, fire fighters are called to respond even while their own families may be displaced and their homes damaged or destroyed. Therefore, it is important that IAFF leaders be aware of several preparation and recovery tools in order to best protect their members in the event of a natural or manmade disaster. This workshop will detail how affiliate leaders can best prepare members and their families for a disaster by learning about proactive family and department plans, communication tools and disaster relief resources.

Discipline: Your Rights & 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.

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.

Introductions to Grievances (2 hours)
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members will 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.

Understanding the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (2 hours)
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a U.S. federal law that establishes important minimum wage and overtime protections for IAFF members. Understanding how this complex law applies to fire fighters, EMTs and paramedics presents special challenges for affiliate leaders. In this workshop, the IAFF General Counsel’s Office will address FLSA exemptions and coverage issues, compensable hours of work, calculating the overtime rate and compensatory time, among other topics.

Conducting Negotiations: Collective Bargaining (2 hours)
Actively negotiating a contract is one of the most important functions IAFF affiliate leadership can perform for members and is the key ingredient in fire fighter–employer relations. In this workshop, you will learn how to create ground rules that benefit unions, participate in mock negotiation sessions and learn how to apply bargaining techniques.

Negotiation Strategies and Tactics (6 hours)
Skilled negotiators are proficient in the key strategies and tactics that significantly improve their bargaining positions. In this workshop, you will analyze the power structure of negotiating committees, determine the real impact of your proposals, identify typical management tactics, interpret hidden meanings behind signals at the bargaining table and make timely and appropriate counter-offers. This workshop will give you exercises to practice each of these new skills.