The IAFF 49^th Convention opened August 11 in Las Vegas, with a ceremony that paid tribute to 90 years of service using a mixture of music, imagery, and performance art. 

IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger delivered the state of the union speech, focusing on the advances that IAFF leaders and members have made through hard work over the past 90 years and recognizing the hard work that is still needed to hold on to those advances and fight for more in the future. 

Among the union’s major challenges, said Schaitberger, are passing the IAFF’s collective bargaining bill in the United States Senate and making the National Fire Protections Association staffing standard, NFPA 1710, the “Law of the land”, in both Canada and the United States.  But legislative success in the future depends in part on getting new members to embrace the union and to be committed to pursuing IAFF goals.   

“Many new members and young members take for granted the benefits they have on the job, but in fact those benefits are the product of years of hard work and lobbying,” Schaitberger said.  “Everything our members receive – every benefit, every right, every gain – has come from the work of this union over the last 90 years,” he said.   “If our members and new generations of fire fighters simply feel entitled to what they have…if they don’t appreciate the threats to their future and their jobs, your job as affiliate leaders will be made more and more difficult.” 

While other unions have struggled, the IAFF has added 400 locals and 53,000 members since 2000, Schaitberger said.  That growth is helping the union achieve its political goals.  The union’s political action fund, FIREPAC, now is among the top 20 largest political action committees of the 4,000 federal PACs.   

“We will have inevitable battles with public officials who want to decimate retirement programs, slash budgets and eliminate jobs.”  “We need to keep building, and it starts with me,” he stated.   “I promise to keep innovating to make this IAFF stronger and more powerful, and to make sure you have the resources you need to be as successful as possible.” 

A special video documentary showcased the IAFF’s 90 year history of fighting on behalf of professional fire fighters in the United States and Canada, from the early days when fire fighters first organized to protest inhumane working conditions, to the founding of the IAFF in 1918 and through the decades to the powerful union the International is today.  Another special video paid tribute to members of the Armed Forces serving overseas. 

The ceremony also featured a moving tribute to IAFF members who have died in the line of duty in the past two years. The IAFF’s principal officers, Harold A. Schaitberger and Vincent J. Bollon, will lead the IAFF for another four years. 

They were re-elected by acclamation and with a massive show of support and confidence by the delegates.  Schaitberger and Bollon raised their arms triumphantly on stage but made it clear they accept the honor with humility and a deep commitment to continue to serve the International and its 290,000 members. 

For full convention coverage including all the speeches and resolutions, click here. 

To see Convention photos, click here. 

There were 49 resolutions voted on at the 49th IAFF Convention that included: 

·         Resolution No.1 - Budget Adjustment for Inflation

This resolution increased the per capita by the amount of inflation. This means a $.44 increase in per capita for Local 27. 

·         Resolution No. 2 – Secondary Employment

This resolution addresses IAFF fire fighters found work­ing a secondary job as a paid-on-call firefighter or for a fire protection district as a volunteer, reserve, part-time, part-paid, police officer, police reserve, or public safety officer. Any member found in violation may be subject to charges being filed against that member, and it is rec­ommended that the penalty include disqualification from holding office in any affiliate and/or expulsion from membership for the period that the misconduct persists. 

·         Resolution No. 4 – Principal Officers Retirement Benefits Modification

This resolution improves retirement benefits at the conclusion of a Principal Officer’s tenure in service to the IAFF. 

·         Resolution No. 8 – IAFF Support / Promote Fire-Based EMS

Establishes a policy that supports and promotes fire-based EMS from first responder through ALS response and transport. 

·         Resolution No. 11 – Support of the IAFF Financial Corporation

The IAFF recognized the need of the members to stop providing funds to organizations that work against the best interests of the IAFF.  The Financial Corporation currently offers services for deferred compensation, post-employment health insurance, life insurance, group life insurance, group vision plans, individual retiree health insurance plans, individual dental plans, banking services, auto and home insurance, home mortgage and refinances.   

·         Resolution No. 14 – Revision of GASB 45

A top priority of the IAFF is to work toward comprehensive reform of healthcare benefits for retired fire fighters to include appropriate revisions to GASP 45 (a standard requiring the prefunding of retiree healthcare benefits for fire fighters across the nation) 

·         Resolution No. 15 – Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

Proposes that the IAFF support the mandate of only photoelectric smoke detectors in United States and Canadian federal law. 

·         Resolution No. 16 – Residential Sprinkler SupportT

he IAFF encourages its members to unanimously support implementing requirements for fire rated lightweight structural components and residential sprinklers. 

·         Resolution No. 17 – National Healthcare Plan for Fire Fighters

This resolution directs the IAFF, “…to pursue imple­menting a national healthcare plan for fire fighters by partnering and utilizing the resources from a national healthcare provider that has the network to serve the vast majority of IAFF members.” It also directs the IAFF to pursue a healthcare plan for retired fire fighters as well as to develop Medicare supplement plans. 

·         Resolution No. 20 – Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Analyst (s)

Proposes that two additional GIS analysts be hired and brought on staff and engage in customized emergency response system review and reporting.  Locals often rely on this resource to provide support data during negotiations with employers. 

·         Resolution No. 21 – United Unions Building

The United Unions Building serves as home office for the International Association of Fire Fighters, IAFF, the The Internatinal Association of Bridge , Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers,IW , the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, IUPAT and the Sheet Metal Workers International Union, SMW.  The IUPAT has decided to relocate and offer their shares of the building to the three remaining unions.  The remaining unions recognize that a major renovation is necessary to the existing structure.  And the IAFF’s rent for additional office space is increasing to full market value.  For the purpose of offsetting the costs, IAFF shall increase its per capita by $.10 effective September 1, 2009. 

·         Resolution No. 24 – Pension Protection Initiative

This resolution directs the IAFF to develop programs, support, and research to defend defined benefit retire­ment plans, including retirement healthcare plans. 

·         Resolution No. 38 – Healthcare Reform

This resolution specified that the IAFF support health­care reform that includes at a minimum the following principles:

Ø  Effective cost containment that reduces cost of health insurance,

Ø  Increased coverage to insure universal access to healthcare for all Americans

Ø  Access to affordable healthcare for early retirees including a right to remain covered within the overall employee group. 

And that the IAFF will work to ensure that the interest of fire fighters and other public employees are addressed in any health reform considered by Congress. 

·         Resolution No. 40 – Pension Reform Act

H.R. 4, Pension Reform Act of 2006 gives a $3,000 exclusion from income to retired public safety officers.  Survivors of retired fire fighters should not lose benefits when a loved one passes away. The delegates assembled at the 49^th Convention of the IAFF endorse and support federal legislation which would add public safety officer survivors to this $3,000 exclusion from income.

·         Resolution No. 42 – Support Social Security Fairness Act

The IAFF support Senator Dianne Feinstein’s reintroduction of the Social Security Fairness Act. S. 206, in the 110^th Congress. 

·         Resolution No. 45 – Change to Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs)

The IAFF continues to work diligently to provide solutions to the healthcare crisis that is faced by the majority of fire fighters.  The IAFF will pursue code changes that would allow members participating in Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), to designate a beneficiary eligible to receive all monies in the member’s individual account for use on qualified medical expenses or receive the monies as taxable income.