The Department of Defense works closely with IAFF affiliates to ensure that federal fire fighters who may be affected by planned reductions in personnel will be given opportunities for retraining and placement at other installations. This cooperation between the IAFF and the Department of Defense stems from Executive Order 10988, signed three years prior by former President John F. Kennedy.
Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey sends letter of thanks to IAFF President William D. Buck for support of the election and the Great Society.
President Lyndon B. Johnson receives a “Chief Executive” helmet from IAFF President William D. Buck at a White House Ceremony for National Fire Prevention Week.
The IAFF testifies before the President’s Committee on Federal Retirement Systems and argues that two major deficiencies should be corrected in the retirement law applying to federal fire fighters: premium pay should be considered as basic salary when computing fire fighter retirement annuities and fire fighters should be allowed to retire earlier, without the present substantial reduction in annuity benefits.
In July, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the 1965 amendments to the Social Security Act. A tense seven-month battle to retain the fire fighter exclusion provision comes to a successful conclusion.
The AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department Executive Board reaffirms the soundness of the IAFF position that fire fighters should continue to be excluded from Social Security and that they are entitled to higher salaries.
The IAFF issues recommendations on Canadian pension plans to the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons. Canadian pension plans are approved on March 29 and will be compulsory for most Canadian fire fighters.
The IAFF holds a new round of labor relations seminars in Canada, emphasizing collective bargaining techniques, labor history, parliamentary procedure and public relations. The first is held at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The seminar is part of the IAFF’s educational program, which has an annual appropriation of $35,000. These build on the six educational seminars held in 1964.
The U.S. Department of Labor conducts the most extensive death and injury survey among fire fighters in the United States, with questionnaires being sent to 7,500 fire departments.
The IAFF launches a relief fund to aid the 75 to 100 professional fire fighters in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area who have suffered property losses due to Hurricane Betsy.
The Ladies Auxiliary column of the International Fire Fighter focuses on the importance of “back porch public relations” for fire service wives.
The IAFF allows locals and individual members to make contributions to the John P. Redmond Memorial Fund in the name of deceased fire fighters.
The IAFF launches a Leadership Training in Labor Relations program to build on current educational seminars with more in-depth group participation exercises in collective bargaining, parliamentary procedure, public speaking and public relations.
First class fire fighters in major cities average $6,729 and work 53 hours per week. In the United States, a family of four requires $6,418 to maintain a “modest but adequate” standard of living in a large city. The average first class fire fighter in Canada works a 43.5-hour week for an average annual salary of $5,770, according to the IAFF salary and working conditions survey.
The IAFF establishes a Labor College Scholarship program to encourage local, state and provincial leaders to attend the two foremost labor schools in America, the Canadian Labor College and Harvard University’s Trade Union Program.
The IAFF creates an anodized aluminum lighter with a chrome cover and a red case. The lighter bears the IAFF emblem on one side and can be ordered for $2.25 each, when placing an order for a minimum of 25 lighters. The lighters also can be customized to include an inscription on the reverse side, such as a name, local union or state or provincial association, for an extra fee.
The IAFF death and injury survey reveals that each day, 109 professional fire fighters are injured in the line of duty, two are permanently disabled and one dies.
The IAFF offers all locals assistance in revising constitutions to be made consistent with the changes made at the 1960 Convention in Buffalo, if instructions and materials sent previously are not sufficient.
Samuel A. Fink (1919-1919)Samuel A. Fink took office in May 1919 and served through September of that year. He spent his entire fire service career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and with Pittsburgh Local 1. When the IAFF was organized in 1918, Fink was elected 1st Vice President. One year later, as president, Fink focused on growing the membership, organizing 96 new locals. Fink resigned during the latter part of 1919 due to family obligations.
William D. Buck (1957-1968)William D. Buck was first elected secretary-treasurer by delegates at the 23rd IAFF Convention in Montreal, Canada. Less than a year later, he was elected by the IAFF Executive Board to serve as acting president after the untimely death of President John P. Redmond. As president, he set increasing membership as a priority, successfully growing the ranks by 50 percent to 115,370. He retired from his position as president in 1968 after celebrating the IAFF’s 50th anniversary.
Buck began his career as a fire fighter with the St. Louis Fire Department in 1930 and soon became an active member of Local 73. He served as a vice president for the local and was also a member of several committees.
Buck was elected 2nd District Vice President in 1940. During his tenure, he was credited with forming three state affiliates, including the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and the Kansas State Council of Fire Fighters.
William D. Buck (1956-1957)William D. Buck was first elected secretary-treasurer by delegates at the 23rd IAFF Convention in Montreal, Canada.
Buck began his career as a fire fighter with the St. Louis Fire Department in 1930 and soon became an active member of Local 73. He served as a vice president for the local and was also a member of several committees.
Buck was elected 2nd District Vice President in 1940. During his tenure, he was credited with forming three state affiliates, including the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and the Kansas State Council of Fire Fighters.
All members from the youngest age to the oldest are taken regardless of occupation, nationality or locality, without a medical examination. New members under 50 years of age will be automatically added upon notice without a medical examination after the original group closes March 15, 1921. No member over 50 will then be accepted for insurance.
“Individual members, as well as local unions which are not encouraging wives’ interest in union activity, are overlooking a real opportunity. And wives who are not now capitalizing on every opportunity to project the professional image of today’s fire service are passing up the opportunity to help their husbands, their families and themselves.”