7th District Partnership Education Program

Understanding Public Pensions (2 hours)
As a union labor leader and a public pension participant, it is vital that you are aware of the various components of public pension plans and how they operate. There is a vested interest to ensure that your public pension plan is adequately funded and prudently invested in order to achieve long-term goals for you and your members. With public pensions under attack, it is important to become involved in the oversight and monitoring of your pension system. This workshop will address how public pensions operate, some pitfalls to be cautious of and questions that should be asked of the pension board, trustees, plan administrators and other stakeholders.

IAFF Union Leadership: Self-Awareness (2 hours)
What Kind of Leader Am I and What Kind of Leader Do I Want to Be? This workshop will help IAFF affiliate leaders learn what kind of union leaders they are and will provide them with several tools to become more effective leaders. During this workshop, participants will identify their own leadership styles and will learn how those styles are perceived by and impact the members that they lead. This is the first workshop in the IAFF Union Leadership Series.

IAFF Union Leadership: Leading Organizational Change (2 hours)
How Can I Help Our Union Become More Effective? This workshop will provide tools to help affiliate leaders become more effective as IAFF locals continue to evolve to meet the serious challenges facing our union and our members in the 21st century. During the workshop, participants will learn how to assess and to prioritize union resources and leverage and how to engage in strategic planning to establish and achieve effective organizational goals. This is the second workshop in the IAFF Union Leadership Series.

IAFF Union Leadership: Union Culture, Communications and Coalition Building (2 hours)
During the workshop, you will identify and learn how to effectively model union values while communicating with the membership, building an effective culture of union solidarity, and creating and working with coalitions to achieve local IAFF political and legislative goals. This is the third workshop in the IAFF Union Leadership Series.

Overview of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (2 hours)
The FMLA is a U.S. federal law passed in 1993. It provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to bond with a child or for serious health conditions or take care of a parent, spouse or child with a serious health condition. This workshop will give you an overview of the FMLA so you can help your membership take advantage of its provisions.

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.

Understanding the Fair Labor Standards Act (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.

Introduction 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.

Negotiating Strategies for Tough Economic Times (2 hours)
We are a union regardless of the status of the economy. Therefore, when we are in tough economic times, we may adjust our mission but not change our vision to continually advance. These challenges may be in the form of decreased tax revenues, cuts in state aid to local government or cuts in other sources of revenue. The reductions in revenue that result in municipal budget cuts have affected IAFF locals by influencing wages, benefits or operational resources. This workshop will provide an understanding of how fiscal crises impact the negotiation process, as well as providing insight on how to address wages, benefits, working conditions and staffing issues in tough times. The workshop will specifically address the above outlined issues for locals with collective bargaining agreements or a formal negotiation process.

Overview of Employment Law (2 hours)
This workshop will provide you with an overview of the employment laws that affect fire fighters and emergency workers. You will learn how the courts define harassment and discrimination in the workplace and how to respond to members who believe their rights have been violated. This workshop will help you better serve the needs of your membership.

Negotiating the First Contract (4 hours)
A solid first contract forms the foundation for all subsequent agreements. A common mistake made when negotiating a first contract is to focus on the “nice to have” items, rather than the “must have” items. This workshop will focus on identifying must-have items, such as terms and conditions of employment, purpose and scope of the recognition clause, how to identify work rules, and the jurisdiction ordinances and statutes that need to be incorporated into specific contract language to protect the working conditions and benefits of our members. Additional topics covered in this workshop include how to prepare for negotiations, review of mandatory versus permissive subjects of bargaining and how to avoid common negotiation pitfalls.

Introduction to Public Relations (2 hours)
A strategic public relations program will enable your local to use public support to achieve its goals and handle an unforeseen crisis. By communicating effectively with the public and local officials, a union is more likely to secure better wages for its members, improve staffing and avoid budget cuts. This workshop is designed to give you the tools and tactics you need to set up a successful public relations program for your local.

Recruiting and Endorsing Candidates (2 hours)
For political candidates, the endorsement of fire fighters is the most coveted endorsement in campaigns today. The political action of an affiliate is what it takes to move fire service issues forward. In this workshop, you will learn how to select a candidate and campaign for political action, understand the endorsement process and create a local endorsement process.

Introduction to Political Action (2 hours)
Local government officials are ultimately responsible for making decisions that affect the wages and benefits of fire fighters. To secure the best working conditions for your members, it is essential that your local union becomes politically active to ensure that those candidates who support fire fighter issues are elected and remain in office. This workshop will give you an overview of the political process and teach you how to set up a political action plan that is most effective in achieving your goals.

Internal Union Organizing (2 hours)
For a local to be most effective in achieving its goals, it must have the majority of the fire department (or EMS organization) as members. A united membership has more resources at its disposal and more bargaining power. In this workshop, you will determine the key reasons for lack of affiliation within your local and develop strategies to increase your membership.

Duties of the Secretary and Treasurer (4 hours)
This workshop will help IAFF affiliate leaders learn what kind of union leaders they are and will provide them with several tools to become more effective leaders. During this workshop, participants will identify their own leadership styles and will learn how those styles are perceived by and impact the members that they lead.

How to Run a Meeting (2 hours)
The manner in which you run your union meetings will affect member attendance and how you are perceived as a leader. A well-run meeting with meaningful and timely agenda items will draw more attendees and help you earn the respect of your membership. In this workshop, you will learn IAFF meeting protocol and etiquette; how to plan for and conduct an efficient and productive meeting; and methods for handling conflict. This workshop is ideal for local union officers with limited experience running union meetings.

Increasing Membership Participation (2 hours)
The strength of a local depends on the active involvement of its members. Whether it’s a committee meeting, political campaign or public relations effort, your members make the difference between success and failure. This workshop provides methods to increase member participation and build an effective union.