5th District Report

Mahlon Mitchell
5th District Vice President

In accordance with the International Association of Fire Fighters Constitution & Bylaws, Article VI, Section 7, I respectfully submit this report as the IAFF 5th District Vice President to General President Edward Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma, the IAFF Executive Board, Board of Trustees, and all delegates assembled for the 58th IAFF Convention in Arlington, Texas.

It has been an honor and privilege serving in my first term as the IAFF 5th District Vice President and representing the members of the Fearless 5th. I would first like to recognize my predecessor, District Vice President Emeritus Tom Thornberg, and his wife Kathy, for their years of dedicated service to our District. Tom built a strong foundation, and I am proud to stand on his shoulders as we continue moving the Fearless 5th forward.

I would also like to congratulate Kevin Sherry, Vice President of Local 311, on receiving the IAFF Leadership Award. This recognition is well deserved and reflects his commitment to our members and our profession.

Since the 57th Convention, General President Kelly has appointed me to serve on the following Executive Board Committees:

Technical Assistance and Information Resources
Emergency Medical Services
Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial
Training, Education, Grants and Human Relations
Convention Site Selection
Interim Resolutions

Throughout the past two years, I have attended numerous state association conventions, local union events, conferences, and meetings across the District to assist affiliates and strengthen our Union. The Fearless 5th continues to focus on two priorities: organizing the unorganized and delivering exceptional service to our members.

ORGANIZING THE FEARLESS 5TH

The 5th District has experienced significant growth through organizing efforts over the past two years. Working alongside our dedicated District team, we successfully organized and chartered new locals throughout the district.

Minnesota:

Local 5522 – Minnetonka Professional Fire Fighters
Local 5539 – Eden Prairie Professional Fire Fighters
Local 5542 – Lakeville Professional Fire Fighters
Local 5583 – Lino Lakes Fire Department
Local 5626 – Farmington Fire Fighters
Local 5651– Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs

North Dakota:

Local 5560 – Grand Forks Airport Fire Department

Wisconsin:

Local 5535 – Elkhorn Area Fire Department
Local 5549 – Black River Falls Area EMS
Local 5625 – Lake Geneva Fire Fighters Association
Local 5639 – Richfield Professional Firefighters

In addition to these newly chartered locals, we organized several affiliate and amalgamated bargaining units throughout the District.

One of the greatest privileges of serving as District Vice President is personally presenting charters to newly organized locals. Regardless of the size of the local, I believe every group of workers who choose union representation deserves to be recognized and celebrated, and I will continue that tradition for as long as I serve in this office.

SERVING OUR LOCALS

The success of our organizing efforts is directly tied to the outstanding services the IAFF provides to members and affiliates. Those services are delivered every day by an exceptional team of District Field Service Representatives and Service Representatives.

I would like to recognize:

District Field Service Representatives:

Patrick Kilbane (Wisconsin)
Josh Nelson (Minnesota)

Service Representatives:

Jerry Biggart
Jeremy Holm
Ryan Hintz
Peter Friedericks
Darren Schimke
Mike Eliason
Cody Thornberg
Scott Vadnais
Pete Johnson
Tom Schulte

Over the past two years, our Service Team has assisted locals throughout the District with contract negotiations, grievances, arbitrations, organizing campaigns, first-contract efforts, labor-management issues, and leadership development.

Notable accomplishments include:

Negotiating first collective bargaining agreements for newly organized locals and bargaining units including Appleton International Airport Firefighters Local I-105, Black River Falls Area EMS Local 5549, Elkhorn Area Fire Department Local 5535, Eden Prairie Chiefs, Whitewater’s newly organized affiliate bargaining unit under Janesville Local 580, and several newly organized Minnesota affiliates.
Assisting Minnetonka Professional Firefighters Local 5522 in securing significant wage increases through its first collective bargaining agreement while also providing member representation in disciplinary matters.
Supporting Marquette County EMS Local 5476 through successor contract negotiations following IAFF certification, resulting in substantial improvements for members after years of representation by another labor organization.
Assisting Eagan Professional Fire Fighters Local 5171 through successor negotiations, mediation, and interest arbitration proceedings while protecting member interests during multiple bargaining cycles.
Providing bargaining and mediation support to locals including Moorhead, Richfield, SCRAPE EMS, Oconto, Portage, Mukwonago, Superior, Rice Lake, Eau Claire, Sturgeon Bay, Kaukauna, and numerous others throughout the district.
Successfully overturning unjust discipline and representing members in grievance proceedings in Appleton Airport, Brooklyn Park, Edina, Minnetonka, Rice Lake, Tomah EMS, and other jurisdictions throughout the Fearless 5th.
Securing favorable grievance settlements in Ashland, Kaukauna, Baraboo, Two Rivers, Tomah EMS, and other locals, protecting wages, overtime rights, contract language, and bargaining unit integrity.
Assisting Ashland Local 875 in resolving Fair Labor Standards Act overtime disputes and defeating employer attempts to improperly reclassify Captains outside the bargaining unit.
Successfully resolving multiple grievances for Baraboo Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Local 5429 prior to arbitration and assisting efforts to expand bargaining unit membership.
Supporting staffing initiatives and labor-management issues in communities across the District, including efforts to secure additional staffing resources in Oconto and other jurisdictions.
Providing negotiations, labor relations, contract administration, and leadership training to local officers, affiliate leaders, and state association representatives throughout the District.
Assisting affiliates in utilizing IAFF resources including Strategic Campaigns, Legal, Communications, Political Operations, Human Relations, and the Medical Assistance Program to strengthen local unions and better serve members.

A particularly significant organizing victory occurred in Wisconsin through a successful unit clarification case involving Richfield Fire-EMS. The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission ruled that employers cannot force unions organizing full-time employees to include paid-on-call personnel in bargaining units. This landmark decision protects future organizing efforts throughout Wisconsin and represents an important victory for the IAFF. We worked on this as a team here in Wisconsin along with the PFFW and this was a decision that was a long time coming.

DISTRICT INITIATIVES AND MEMBER DEVELOPMENT

The 5th District continues to invest heavily in leadership development and member engagement.

This year we hosted the largest 5th District Conference in Minneapolis. The entire first day focused on educating members about the resources, expertise, and services available through IAFF Divisions.

I want to thank General President Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer Líma, AGPs, Division Directors, and IAFF staff who traveled to Minneapolis to provide training and education to our members.

Additional initiatives included:

District-wide leadership and negotiations training.
Female Health and Safety Committee training led by Katie Sandstrom of Local 101.
District leadership Zoom meetings and “Happy Hour” updates to keep local leaders informed.
Development of the IAFF 5th District Labor Relations Database in partnership with our State Associations.
Support for members utilizing the IAFF Medical Assistance Program in St. Paul, Fargo, Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, Wauwatosa, and other communities throughout the district.
Participation in the inaugural IAFF Top Gun Program with representation from Sioux Falls Local 814 Vice President Riley McManus.

STATE ASSOCIATION PARTNERSHIPS

The strength of the 5th District is built upon strong state associations and local leadership.

Over the past two years, I worked closely with our state associations to address legislative issues, organizing opportunities, collective bargaining initiatives, and affiliate development.

One accomplishment was assisting our brothers and sisters in South Dakota as they revitalized and strengthened their State Association. We continue to build momentum and strengthen labor representation throughout the state.

We have, with the help of IAFF Government Affairs Department, aided locals engaged in municipal and mayoral campaigns impacting fire fighter working conditions and public safety.

In North Dakota, we continue efforts to get collective bargaining rights and strengthen labor representation for professional fire fighters and EMS personnel throughout the state, we have started conversations and planning in Fargo to see if we can get collective bargaining.

POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES

The 5th District continues to play an active role in advancing legislation, supporting political action, and strengthening the voice of professional fire fighters and EMS personnel throughout our states.

Notable successes during this reporting period include:

In Wisconsin, stand-alone EMS personnel were successfully included in the state’s PTSD presumption law, extending critical protections to EMS professionals who had previously been excluded from this important benefit.
In Minnesota, Local 101 President Pete Johnson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, providing professional fire fighters with a strong advocate and voice in state government.
Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters Emeritus District Vice President Chris Ford was elected to the Blaine City Council, continuing a proud tradition of IAFF leaders serving their communities through public office.
The 5th District provided support to numerous local affiliates engaged in municipal elections, ballot initiatives, referendums, and mayoral campaigns affecting public safety, staffing, labor relations, and collective bargaining rights.
In Wisconsin, the election of Justice Susan Crawford to the Wisconsin Supreme Court maintained a pro-labor majority on the Court, helping preserve a favorable environment for workers’ rights and collective bargaining issues.
The IAFF and the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin are supporting independent candidate Mike Thurow in his campaign for Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District. The primary election is scheduled for August 11, 2026.
Throughout the District, affiliates utilized IAFF Political Operations and Strategic Campaigns resources to improve political engagement, build community support, pass local referendums, and advance policies that improve the safety, health, and working conditions of our members.

These accomplishments demonstrate the importance of remaining engaged in the political process and ensuring that professional fire fighters and EMS personnel continue to have a seat at the table when decisions affecting our members, our profession, and our communities are made.

LOOKING FORWARD

The Fearless 5th remains focused on growth, service, and member engagement. We will continue organizing the unorganized, expanding collective bargaining rights, defending our contracts, training future leaders, and ensuring every member understands and has access to the world-class services provided by the IAFF.

The future of the 5th District is bright because of the dedication of our local leaders, state association officers, Service Representatives, District Field Service Representatives, and the thousands of members who step up every day to serve both their communities and this Union.

This report represents a summary of my official acts and activities as the IAFF 5th District Vice President since the 57th Convention.

I want to thank General President Edward Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma, the Executive Board, and the entire IAFF staff for their unwavering support of the members of the Fearless 5th and all IAFF members across North America.

Most importantly, I want to thank the leadership and members of the 5th District. Thank you for your dedication, your service, and your commitment to making the lives and livelihoods of our members better every day.