IAFF Stands With APWU to Boycott Staples

John Stamp
July 13, 2014 – The IAFF is urging members, friends and family to no longer shop at Staples stores. Staples and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have entered an agreement that jeopardizes your mail service and your local post office by replacing full-service U.S. Post Offices with knock-off post offices in Staples stores that are not staffed with U.S. Postal Service employees.

Supreme Court Chips Away At Worker Rights… Again

John Stamp
June 30, 2014 – In another example of why elections matter, the politically appointed members of the U.S. Supreme Court handed down their decision today in Harris v. Quinn today. Harris involves a challenge by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation on behalf of eight in-home health care workers for Medicaid recipients against the state of Illinois (and indirectly SEIU. The Supreme Court ruled narrowly that the First Amendment prohibits a union’s collection of fees for the cost of representation activities (known as “agency fees”) from in-home health care workers who do not wish to join or support the union.

Could Your Flame Retardant Sofa Kill Fire Fighters?

John Stamp
June 24, 2014 — For years, fire fighters and environmentalists have warned of the dangers from upholstered furniture treated with flame-retardant chemicals that are linked to cancer, decreased fertility, hormone disruption and lower IQ development. A bill in California would require upholstered furniture manufacturers to clearly disclose whether or not furniture sold in California contains flame-retardant chemicals. The information would be provided on the product labels that are already required by current regulations.

Could Your Flame Retardant Sofa Kill Fire Fighters?

John Stamp
June 24, 2014 — For years, fire fighters and environmentalists have warned of the dangers from upholstered furniture treated with flame-retardant chemicals that are linked to cancer, decreased fertility, hormone disruption and lower IQ development. A bill in California would require upholstered furniture manufacturers to clearly disclose whether or not furniture sold in California contains flame-retardant chemicals. The information would be provided on the product labels that are already required by current regulations.

Remembering the Charleston 9

John Stamp
June 18, 2014 – Today marks the seventh anniversary of one of the darkest days in IAFF history. On June 18, 2007, nine Charleston, South Carolina, fire fighters — including members of Charleston Local 61 — died in the line of duty as they fought to extinguish the Charleston Sofa Super Store fire.

IAFF Testifies on Capitol Hill to Improve Wildfire Training, Coordination

John Stamp
June 6, 2014 – IAFF Assistant to the General President for Governmental Affairs and Public Policy Kevin O’Connor told a Congressional subcommittee June 5 the federal approach to managing wildfires must evolve, recommending the establishment of a Blue Ribbon Commission to jumpstart the process. O’Connor delivered his remarks before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations and the District of Columbia.

GASB Pushes for Better Disclosure of Public Retiree Benefits

John Stamp
May 29, 2014 — The seven-member GASB Board voted to put forward two draft proposals on reporting of Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) or retiree health insurance. Once passed, local governments would be required to recognize net liabilities of their OPEBs on annual financial statements.

Drafts of both proposals will be posted on GASB’s web site in June. The IAFF will submit comment opposing this change due to the potential effect on local budgets. The comment period will be followed by public hearings September 10-12.