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November 2024 Member Update
Thank you for taking the time to read the November Member Update. Below are some topics discussed at our last union meeting. For more information, please reach out to any Eboard member. We look forward to seeing you at our next union meeting, December 5th at 6pm, virtually and at station 46. Please ask your sisters and brothers to read these updates. If they are not getting notifications of updates or union meetings, they should check their spam/junk folders and ensure that the messages are not being filtered.
Negotiations
Our negotiations team has been hard at work trying to reach an agreement with Admin, but after progress stalled both parties agreed to bring in a mediator. This is a process that is defined by state law and will hopefully allow us to come to an agreement. If mediation fails to bring an agreement, we will then head to arbitration. Firefighters and Police Officers are the only employees entitled to binding arbitration by the state, which means both parties are allowed arbitration by a third and binding party to resolve collective bargaining arguments.
Our team met with the mediator on 11/15 and have another meeting scheduled for mid-December. The team is continuing to try to schedule more meetings in between, but at this point it looks like we will not have more news until after our next Union Meeting. In the meantime, we would like to ask our members to trust the process.
Bylaws Change
At the November Union Meeting, a motion was made to revise the schedule and frequency of our Union Meetings starting in 2025. If approved, this change would shift us to six formal Union Meetings per year, held on the first Thursday of even-numbered months at 9 a.m.. On odd-numbered months, we would hold a virtual Eboard meeting and a virtual-only informational meeting.
The Eboard supports this change for several reasons:
Financial Impact: Evening meetings (currently held every other month) often require Eboard members to be moved off shift for 12 hours, as securing short-term OT coverage has proven unreliable. This work relief comes at a cost to our members and reduces funds available for educational events and conferences.
Participation: Evening meetings consistently have the lowest attendance and often lack quorum, canceling or turning them into informational sessions rather than productive meetings.
The vote on this proposal will close on 11/21. We encourage all members to participate in this important decision.
Brandon Minneman
At the November Union Meeting, a motion was made to allocate $5,000 from savings to support Brandon Minneman and his family. These funds would assist with expenses and help them plan a family vacation. We strongly encourage you to vote yes and support this initiative.
Recent Ops Notes: Notification While Using Sick Leave
You may have recently received information informing employees that they must call Human Resources if they are on sick leave for three or more shifts, in order to explain to HR the reason for the leave, so that HR can determine whether FMLA or PFMLA may apply. The local’s legal counsel believes this to be an unlawful unilateral change and has issued a cease-and-desist letter to the administration. Neither the FMLA nor the PFMLA requires employees to notify their employer of the reason sick time is being used. Because this requirement has not historically been required, we believe that management cannot impose it now without bargaining with the Union. We will have a separate notification to members explaining your rights on FMLA and PFLMA within days of this update. An email was sent to Chief Carson requesting he rescind the notification requirement that many of you were made aware during Ops Meeting notes.
Promotions Update
Greg Kelley has been working hard with his team to clean up the promotions process and wanted to say thank you for your patience as they move towards a more efficient system. There are some new station shirts and workout gear open our website; they close this Friday 11/21 as well.
Inter-Local Agreement with Local 726
Our local and L726 in Pierce County have agreed to share an employee under an Inter-Local Agreement (ILA) to address growing demands and to enhance services for active and retired members. Each local will share costs and receive 20 hours of support per week, with the employee based at L726's union hall.
This action, approved by the Executive Board as outlined in the L1747 Constitution and Bylaws, aims to improve administrative efficiency, improve all communication efforts, reassess operations, and prepare for strategic growth in hiring a full-time employee exclusively for our membership in the future.
Further updates will be provided, including during the December budget meeting.
HR communication issues
The Eboard is gathering data on issues members are having with communication from HR. If you email HR with a question or issue and haven’t received a reply of acknowledgment in 3 business days, please forward that email to the Secretary: secretary@iaff1747.org.
New Eboard Members
We are pleased to welcome back Rob Mathey for another term as VP. Madeline Dailey for another term as Treasurer. Jimmy Ferguson for another term as Mechanics Rep. Rod Carlson as the BC/DC rep. Nick Brooks as a new Director, and Maria DeCaro filling out the remainder of the term for the RN/SW group.
Engine 1 Work Party
Brother Ferguson is organizing a work party to remove the engine and transmission from old Engine 1. The local owns that rig and has been working to get it drivable for the Gala in June, but also to have for members use in the future. The work party begins at 3PM this Friday, 11/22, and refreshments will be provided after the work is done. Please contact Jimmy at (206) 940-0932 if you can help.
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