10th District Conference

FLSA for Fire Service Labor Leaders (Mastagne Law Firm)
This course provides labor leaders and union members with a working knowledge of the Fair Labor Standards Act as it applies to fire service personnel, including overtime rules, exemptions, and record-keeping obligations. Participants will gain the tools needed to identify FLSA violations and advocate effectively for their members’ pay and hour rights.

Discipline and Workers’ Comp: Advocating for Your Members (Ferrone and Ferrone)
This course equips fire service labor leaders and union members with the knowledge to navigate both the employee discipline process and the workers’ compensation system. Participants will examine best practices for responding to disciplinary action — from progressive discipline frameworks to grievance procedures and just cause standards — while also learning how to guide injured members through filing procedures, benefit entitlements, and common employer disputes.

Bargaining and Contract Negotiations for Fire Service Labor Leaders (Messing Adam Jasmine & Shore)
This course prepares union officers and stewards to lead effective contract negotiations on behalf of their members, covering the fundamentals of collective bargaining, proposal development, costing out contracts, and strategies for the table. Participants will leave with the confidence and practical skills needed to secure strong agreements that protect fire fighters’ wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Duty of Fair Representation: What Every Labor Leader Must Know
As the exclusive bargaining representative for your unit, your union holds a powerful legal obligation and a serious legal liability. This session breaks down the Duty of Fair Representation (DFR), the federal standard established under the NLRA and reinforced through decades of public-sector labor law, that requires unions to represent all members fairly, without hostility, discrimination, or arbitrary action.

Secretary-Treasurer Panel
Join us for a dynamic, interactive panel designed by IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer, staff, and seasoned Local secretary-treasurers who know what it takes to excel in the role. Whether you are new to the position or looking to sharpen your skills and expand your knowledge, this session gives you the practical tools and strategies to manage your Local’s finances and record keeping with transparency and accountability.

This course gives you the basic foundation you need to help your local meet the expectations of your members. This session isn’t just training – it’s a roadmap for success.

Local Union Administration
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 in the Local. It will also acquaint participants with the various services and assistance available from the IAFF.

Pre-Planning for Power
We pre-plan on the job, thinking of every little thing that can happen at an emergency incident. However, we don’t take that approach to our outreach campaigns, leaving far too many Locals outgunned when it is time to fight. Attendees will discuss the steps they should take to prepare for the battles ahead. This includes both an internal and external approach.

Building Your Brand Before the Fight
Your next campaign will be won long before you fight it. Topics will focus on how your campaign begins today, by strengthening, then strategically deploying, the fire fighter brand to increase your political power.