ORGANIZING

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Achieving the American dream is becoming harder and harder for working people as they struggle to make ends meet. However, workers are standing up to workplace injustices and demanding a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. They are gaining real power on the job by banding together with their coworkers to form a union. Across the nation, workers are fighting for respect, dignity and a voice in their workplaces. And they are winning!

 

We are America’s First Responders: The International Association of Fire Fighters is the AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing more than 305,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel in the United States and Canada. IAFF members are the largest providers of pre-hospital emergency medical care in the United States.

 

One of the oldest public employee unions in America, the IAFF was formed in 1918, at a time when many fire fighters were required to live in firehouses and be on duty 24 hours a day every day, with only the occasional day off. Back then, civil service laws were few and almost all pay, promotions and other benefits came and went at the whim of local patronage. In addition to city and county fire fighters and emergency medical personnel, the IAFF represents state employees, federal workers, and fire and emergency medical workers employed at certain industrial facilities.

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Three or more persons in the same jurisdiction, including all full-time, paid employees engaged in fire fighting, emergency medical or rescue service activities, may submit a proposal to charter a local union. To obtain additional information about organizing a local union in your jurisdiction, click here to obtain an Organizing Kit from the International Association of Fire Fighters.