Happy Thanksgiving to all Local 1014 Members

While it seems that most folks and society as a whole are moving towards simply skipping Thanksgiving, we want to remind our members to do just the opposite and fight to celebrate Thanksgiving and the spirit in which we should celebrate. We have had a very busy year once again, and in particular the last couple of months seem to have tested our membership to our limits, but we have responded as a team of professionals and a family of friends in our times of need and challenge and we should be proud and take a moment to be thankful for all that we have and all that we are.

We have been spending far too much time at memorials and gravesites to end this year, and our November ending saw the passing of Shawn Bayer, Herb Schisler, John Vincent and "Recruit 31", Jesus Ontiveros of the 138th Firefighter Academy. We were able to honor all of these great men for their service, their pride and dedication to not only our profession and our Job, but for their personal accomplishments and dedication to friends and families. We did this whether they be a retired great who paved the way for us all, or an active duty member taken from us far too early, or a non-safety brother from our membership, or as in most recently and unprecedented historical way a “Recruit” 31 to be exact who hadn’t even earned “Probie” status yet. We gave honor and recognition to all and stretched ourselves thin to accomplish this, and we should be proud, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, be thankful that we are part of this great family of LA County Fire Fighters and Fire Personnel. What an honor and a “Tradition of Excellence”. In the spirit of “We Shall Never Forget”, take time to reflect and remember all of those who are in our family both locally, literally and in our profession and begin thinking of next April or May when we convene at our own LA County Memorial to Honor…clear your calendar and let’s be there also. A job well done to all.

While we were busy with all of that, we also have been in the midst of a contentious Coalition of County Unions (CCU) Fringe Benefits Bargaining Battle that centers on Medical Premium and Contributions vs. Cost of Medical Care specifically Retiree Healthcare. While these issues will only affect new hire employees, these are the future firefighters and their families who will risk it all to serve, and in advance we must remember them also and work to get a fair deal that will not only protect our healthcare system as we know it, but protect a defined benefit healthcare system for them and their families as well. While it may not look like ours, it will be sustainable and fundable for their future also. This is a very complex issue and requires careful analysis and review and calculations and framework that involves funding, benefit levels, IRS and National Healthcare Mandates under the ACA and has proven to be a tough and expensive subject. We have had little or no help from the County to solve the problems which are not just political, but mathematical. If we don’t provide the solutions and framework then our future Healthcare is in jeopardy and that simply is not an option. We broke down negotiations before Thanksgiving with major issues unresolved on possible deal points, but we will resume after the Thanksgiving weekend, and we are confident if the BOS leans on the CEO to get his act together, we can move toward a deal that works. We will keep you posted as it all unfolds.

Recently at the JAC Conference, the Union and the Department Leadership met to discuss partnership in working on issues we all have an interest in both legally (Contract MOU) and literally and we are proud to announce a Labor / Management Commission approach to 4 critical areas of interest; EMS Issues and Related, Fiscal/BUDGET– Revenue and Grants, Organizational Culture – (Who we are and How we are to the Public and Each Other), and RISK MANAGEMENT – Those items internal and external that end up in lawsuits with damages to our good name and our wallet into the millions. We look forward to progress in these areas critical to our successes.

So that’s a little update on some of the items in play….The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly…. But most notably THE GREAT! The Great we have to be thankful for once again this year both personally and professionally. All things we encourage our members to take a moment this weekend starting Thursday and give thanks for all that we have and all that we are. Remember how fleeting life can be for all of us and give thanks for our friends and our families and our profession, and on that note how good it is to be a Los Angeles County Fire Department Member, a Local 1014 Member.

Celebrate responsibly and DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE. GET A DRIVER, GET A ROOM, GET A CAB…PUT THE PHONE DOWN….. MAKE A PLAN!

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL our members and special thoughts and prayers to those serving in our military this Holiday and to those serving in our Fire Stations this Holiday.

Your Local 1014 Executive Board

Check iafflocal1014.org or local1014.org for details