Resolution No. 30
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Legislative
Re: Collective Bargaining for Tribal Fire Fighters – Adopted
1 | WHEREAS, our nation’s tribal fire departments |
2 | are responsible for fire prevention and suppression, |
3 | public education, emergency medical services and |
4 | hazardous materials emergency response on their |
5 | respective Reservations; and |
6 | WHEREAS, tribal fire departments often employ |
7 | a mix of full-time firefighting, emergency medical |
8 | service (EMS) personnel and volunteer fire fighters, |
9 | while also maintaining mutual aid agreements with |
10 | adjacent fire departments; and |
11 | WHEREAS, tribal fire fighters have no collective |
12 | bargaining rights and are “at-will” employees, |
13 | subject to job termination at any time without |
14 | reasonable cause or notice; and |
15 | WHEREAS, due to their “at-will” status and |
16 | inability to collectively bargain, tribal fire fighters |
17 | are often denied adequate training and workplace |
18 | safety protections, as well as fair wages, hours and |
19 | working conditions, just to name a few; and |
20 | WHEREAS, collective bargaining not only |
21 | benefits employees, but society as a whole, thanks to |
22 | labor-management relations that increase skill levels |
23 | and reduce turnover; and |
24 | WHEREAS, this basic process provides a forum |
25 | where employers and employees can join together to |
26 | address problems; and |
27 | WHEREAS, collective bargaining also protects |
28 | against political patronage; and |
29 | WHEREAS, ultimately, employers, employees |
30 | and the public are best served by employees whose |
31 | first loyalty is to their job, not to a particular political |
32 | agenda and collective bargaining helps to insulate |
33 | against such patronage; and |
34 | WHEREAS, it is in the interest of all fire fighters |
35 | and the public they are sworn to protect that tribal |
36 | fire fighters be extended collective bargaining rights; |
37 | therefore be it |
38 | RESOLVED, That the IAFF pursue collective |
39 | bargaining rights for our nation’s tribal fire fighters. |
Submitted by: California Professional Firefighters
Cost Estimate: None
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