PEP Online – October 2026

Frontline Union Representative Basics
This workshop addresses the knowledge and skills involved in effectively enforcing contract provisions and representing workers’ rights with 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.

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.

Increasing Membership Participation
Using social media to communicate with members and the community has become commonplace for affiliate leaders. This module will help affiliate leaders recognize several social media tools that are common in today’s society and learn how to use them safely and effectively to strengthen their local’s social media presence. It will also help leaders understand several guidelines for proper use and how to communicate effectively with their local and the community.

Ethics for Union Leaders
Most IAFF leaders are public employees and have fiduciary responsibilities to their membership. Due to the nature of your position, you are subject to higher ethical standards than the average member or employee. These standards must be upheld in order to maintain the trust of your members and run an effective local. Failure to do so can result in loss of credibility, loss of union position, or even criminal charges. This workshop will cover the principles of ethics, the requirements of public employees, and strategies for making ethical decisions. You will use these strategies to analyze scenarios and case studies.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Contract Language
The collective bargaining agreement is a contract between union and management that outlines the wages, benefits, and working conditions for fire fighters. To maintain flexibility in the workplace, negotiators sometimes include language in the agreement that is ambiguous or general in nature. Occasionally, this ambiguity leads to disputes between the two parties over the meaning of the contract. When these disputes are brought to arbitration, the arbitrator must determine which interpretation is the most reasonable and best reflects the mutual intent of the parties. This workshop will teach you how arbitrators consider contract language, past practice, and other contributing factors in order to reach a decision.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Evaluating Evidence
To win your case in grievance arbitration, it is crucial to have evidence to back up your arguments and assertions. Without sufficient evidence, it is difficult to convince an arbitrator to rule in your favor. This workshop will teach you how to gather evidence, identify the types of evidence admissible in arbitration, and determine which types carry the most weight with arbitrators. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.