This week, your Local 1014 Executive Board has continued the long and grueling negotiations process with the County of Los Angeles. We met with them multiple times over the past two weeks to grind out the final items on the successor MOU including specialty bonuses, additional MOU items and the establishment of a Behavioral Health Program, often meeting well into the night to get the best contract for our members. Next week, we are scheduled to continue negotiations. We will keep you updated as we progress towards a contract that takes care of all our members. Once a tentative agreement is reached, we will be sending it to our members for a ratification vote.

Yesterday, we celebrated the retirement of Brother John B. Tripp, “The Firefighter’s Chief,” who is retiring after 30+ years of service to the County of Los Angeles. The event was well attended by past members, legends of the LA County Fire Department as well as past 1014 Board Members.  Brother Tripp has remained a Local 1014 Brother his entire career and has always been a man of character dedicated to the fire service and our members. On behalf of our members, we thank Brother Tripp for his years of dedicated passion and mentorship.

Additionally, last weekend, our Executive Board also attended the grand opening of the Los Angeles County Fire Museum in Bellflower. More than three decades in the making, the museum is a multipurpose venue, housing antique fire engines and memorabilia as well as serving as an event venue. Special thanks to the Los Angeles County Fire Museum Association for preserving our history for future generations.

If you have the opportunity, please make the effort to visit and get a chance to see first-hand the rich history of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and its Firefighters. The museum is located at 16400 Bellflower Boulevard in Bellflower, for more information, visit www.lacountyfiremuseum.com.

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that on Saturday, July 14, Cal Fire Heavy Equipment Operator Braden Varney was killed while battling a the Ferguson fire in the Sierra National Forest. Brother Varney died at the scene as crews battled the fire in the rugged area near Yosemite National Park. Varney, 36, was a residents of Mariposa and had served in the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit for a decade. 

On behalf of the 3,200+ members of Local 1014, we offer our deepest condolences to his wife and two young children and to our brothers and sisters at CAL FIRE Local 2881.

As many of you know, the Los Angeles County Fire Department in addition to serving the 1 million residents of the unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County also contracts with nearly 60 cities within Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles region to provide Fire/Rescue/EMS services to over 3 million residents. While we do not seek out city contracts, when we have labor and management support within a city, we welcome cities and their Firefighters into the County family.

On July 10, the Redondo Beach City Council voted 4-1 to request a feasibility study and a proposal for Fire/Rescue/EMS services from the Los Angeles County Fire Department (meeting video here). While this is only a preliminary step in a long process, we look forward to working with our brothers and sisters at the Redondo Beach Firefighters Union as they look into joining the Los Angeles County family.

Your Local 1014 Executive Board has been diligently continuing the bargaining process with the County over a successor MOU. This has been a long and difficult negotiation with public safety labor unions coming together from across the County to ensure that we get the best contract for our members.

Today the Executive Board met with the County to fight for final items in our contract including specialty bonuses and additional MOU items. This was a long grueling process spanning several hours of negotiations. Earlier this week, Local 1014 together with Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association (LACoLA) met with members of the Board of Supervisors to ensure we have support for our members as we move forward with the negotiations process. We will be meeting with the Board of Supervisors and the County’s Chief Executive Officer again next week as we push for a tentative agreement quickly.

Our proposal includes funding for a union-run Behavioral Health Program. This will provide our members added confidentiality and will ensure best practices are in place. The program will be run in cooperation with the Department. With 1 in 5 Firefighters suffering from post-traumatic stress injuries, this is a top priority for our Executive Board.

Once a tentative agreement is reached, we will be sending it to our members for a ratification vote. The contract will be retroactive to July 1, 2018.

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

On behalf of your Los Angeles County Firefighters, IAFF Local 1014 Executive Board, we would like to wish you and your families a safe and healthy Fourth of July!

Each year, on Independence Day, we remember the day our country was born and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. We also remember the courageous men and women that have shaped our country’s growth and protected our safety since that historic day on July 4, 1776. As you celebrate our nation’s freedom, please take a moment to reflect on those serving in the United States Military who are standing a post both at home and abroad to ensure we continue to be a free nation.

As you enjoy your families, friends and fireworks, please remember that summer is a busy time of year for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. We have to be ready to answer the call when the phone rings. This holiday (and every day) do not drink and drive. Drink responsibly! 

On behalf of your Local 1014 Executive Board, please enjoy a safe and healthy Independence Day.

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

On June 30, 2013, the wind-whipped Yarnell Hill wildfire turned suddenly and killed 19 members of Prescott's Granite Mountain Hotshots as they moved to re-engage the inferno, 30 miles south of Prescott.

The fire raged into Yarnell, a community of about 650 people, destroying more than 120 homes. In all, the blaze consumed 8,400 acres before firefighters at last contained it on July 10 2013.

Kevin Woyjeck, oldest son of our brother Captain Joe Woyjeck, was a member of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew who was one of the 19 that perished that day.

We ask all our members today to take a moment and remember Kevin and his crew. Today will be a difficult day for Kevin's family as well as the families of all the fallen members of the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Crew

The fallen firefighters, our IAFF brothers are:

Today in their honor from 10 AM to 2 PM the Los Angeles County Firefighters Museum located at 16400 Bellfower Blvd., Bellflower will be opening their doors and welcome everyone to visit, share stories and morn the loss of these 19 heroes.

ALL are welcome.

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

This week the fire service mourned our brother Captain Dave Rosa in Long Beach. Los Angeles County Fire Fighters IAFF Local 1014 members and LACOLA (Lifeguard) members along with LA City Firefighters IAFF Local 112 members formed joint teams to provide Long Beach members PEER and Chaplain support and MMT work. In addition Local 1014 members rolled into Long Beach stations to cover while the Long Beach Fire Family took time to grieve and pay respects and work to deal with the unthinkable. We will also be sending a strike team of engines, dispatchers, mechanics and other personnel the day of Brother Rosa's services along with other departments so their entire department will be able to attend the service.

Brother Dave Rosa and his crew, and any crew in this nation, should never be faced with an active shooter in the middle of our fire call, but the reality is we do face those dangers now as well. We will stand strong in solidarity with along with Firefighters from throughout the nation while we lay to rest Brother Dave Rosa and “We Shall Never Forget.” Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 3, in the arena of the Long Beach Convention Center, located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach. 

Local 1014 Board Members have also been preparing for our next two negotiations sessions set the first two weeks of July. LACOLA is also meeting on a similar time schedule to try and get their contract settled. We are pushing hard to capture general salary and special bonus monies as well. We have put forward a concept to run Behavioral Health Services for our members through the Union for added confidentiality and best practices. We will keep you posted as we progress. We have a goal of July 15 to conclude bargaining. 

We also were battling the Return to Work supervisor, policies and practices issues and we are now at the CEO level with LA County on our Grievance General in Character. We are committed to taking this all the way if necessary. The care of our injured and ill members is one of the most important working condition issues we handle. 

Finally, we have been in Sacramento the last two days with State Union Executive Board business and also working hard in the Capitol to ensure the legislative issues affecting our members. The Supreme Court decision on Janus while it will not directly affect us has great impact on the Labor family and our collective alliance and power to handle our wages, hours and working conditions items through collective bargaining and collective voice and vote. We will stand with all of Labor in combating the assault on our ability to organize. We stand as one when we speak to protect our members.

We helped kill the Beverage Associations attempt to put forward the Lapsley Initiative which would have set a 2/3rds threshold for all taxes state and local. This would have devastated the fire service funding statewide affecting staffing. We also secured the Governor’s signature on a bill protecting dues collection mechanisms and privacy of your personal information form third party collection. We are working on behavioral health privacy protections for our PEERS and a funding mechanism for PEER training. Additionally we secured state mutual aid funding through both cap and trade and also separate budget item allocations. As you may recall, we were seeking $100 million and we secured $50 million as a result of negotiations and political action at the Capitol.

We continue to fight to keep vital resources and funding for our department and departments across the state. As unions face challenges at every level of government, it is critical that we stay strong as one and fight for the resources we need to stay safe and protect our communities.

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

Today the US Supreme Court dealt a blow to union members across the country and their families.

As we approach the 70th anniversary of Local 1014, we are reminded of how far we have come and how many victories we as a union have had working together to improve wages, working conditions and benefits for our members and their families. From cancer presumptive health care legislation to retirement benefits to behavioral health support and safer working conditions, Local 1014 has a long history of members working together in solidarity to improve our quality of life and protect those who protect our communities. These benefits are a direct result of Local 1014’s political action and legislative influence. We are a strong voice for our members both countywide and within the Department because of our ability to act as one.  When we speak as one, through the union, our voice is equal to the Fire Chief and we have the power to effect change in the operations, policies and procedures within our Fire Department.

This decision is an opportunity for Local 1014 and unions across the nation to show that we are stronger together. It is critically important that we stand with our brothers and sisters across all unions to support #workersrights and #collectivebargaining.  #UnionStrong #Local1014Strong

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3100 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

Brothers & Sisters,

Early this morning, the Long Beach Fire Department responded to a call at a downtown Long Beach senior living facility. Upon arrival at the facility, two Long Beach Firefighters were shot and wounded by a gunman inside the building. 

It is with great sadness that we announce that Long Beach Fire Captain Dave Rosa was killed in the line of duty as a result of his wounds early this morning. The husband and father of two was a 17- year veteran of the Long Beach Fire Department. The second Firefighter shot is currently in stable condition.

On behalf of the over 4,000 members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), we extend our deepest condolences to the family of Long Beach Fire Captain Dave Rosa and offer our prayers to the Firefighter currently recovering from his injuries.

It is moments like these when we come together as a department and as a fire service family to assist our brothers and sisters in need. As Firefighters, we know that we take a risk each time we answer the call to serve. This incident is a stark reminder of how dangerous our profession is and how essential it is to protect each other and support each other.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is currently sending engines to Long Beach to relieve Long Beach crews. Additionally, LACoFD together with Los Angeles County Firefighters, IAFF Local 1014 has sent Behavioral Health PEER Support Counselors to the incident to assist Firefighters on the scene and their families.

We will keep you informed as more information is available.

Sincerely,

Click on below picture to see larger version

Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

Friday June 22, 2018
UPDATE

Brothers & Sisters

Your 1014 Executive Board has been busy this week...

Yesterday, your Executive Board Negotiations Team continued contract negotiations with the County of Los Angeles.  We successfully fought back on the Fire Chief's proposed policy changes including an attack on our coveted bid and transfer system.  We also continued to press the County on our key economic issues including special bonus structures as well as general salary increases and parity pay with the Sheriffs (ALADS) who as you reached a tentative agreement recently.  

The Lifeguards (LACOLA) are still bargaining with the County as well and ALADS have sent their contract out to a ratification vote with their members.  We are set to go back to the table the first week of July and the following week of July to finish negotiations on what promises to be a very good contract.  We should have a tentative agreement soon with the contract to be effective July 1st.  We will continue to keep you informed as we progress.   

At the beginning of the week, our Executive Board attended the 2nd Annual IAFF 10th District Partnership Education Program (PEP).  Local 1014 together with United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) Local 112 was proud to help host our brothers and sister from across the Western United States and engage in this collaborative and educational forum.  Your Executive Board attended classes on leadership, municipal financial analysis, negotiations, behavioral health, cancer awareness, and other critically important topics for our members.  The networking with other Union Firefighter leaders was invaluable.

Special thanks to IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger (who provided video remarks to the attendees), IAFF 10th District Vice-President Frank Lima and his staff for putting on an educational and meaningful event.

Conferences like this are vital to furthering the cause of solidarity, education, and unity amongst our IAFF brothers and sisters and remind us that we are stronger together. With the impending Janus v AFSCME decision at the US Supreme Court, it has never been more important that we stand together and continue the fight for the wages, benefits and working conditions our members need as we protect our communities. We encourage you to keep your eye on this decision and what the outcome to public employees will be.  If this decision goes against AFSCME you will begin to see the destruction of public employee unions.  Watch for more on this case.

In Solidarity,

Your Local 1014 Executive Board

(Photos courtesy of L112 member Adam Van Gerpen)