IAFF President Al Whitehead meets with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ron Brown at the AFL-CIO Winter Meeting. He shares his concerns that some Democratic mayors and other elected officials seek and receive substantial support from labor during their campaigns, but often turn their backs on fire fighters and other public employees after they are elected.
The Bush administration’s FY 1991 budget contains proposals that could adversely affect the paychecks of fire fighters and other public employees. The budget calls for imposing a 1.45 percent Medicare tax on fire fighters and state and local workers not currently covered by Medicare.
Every fire fighter who attends the National Fire Academy will pay a $25 user fee for each week of attendance. Further, federal fire fighters will receive a 3.5 percent pay increase rather than the 5 percent recommended by economists to battle rising inflation.
The IAFF works to push the Fire Fighters’ Hazardous Materials Act through Congress, despite opposition from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Chemical Manufacturers Association and the American Trucking Association. The International Association of Fire Chiefs endorses the IAFF-supported bill.
IAFF President Al Whitehead launches the FIREPAC 90 campaign to raise voluntary funds for the IAFF’s political action committee. IAFF members receive a request to help fight an assault on fire fighter pension plans by the federal government.
In the 1989-1990 election cycle, individual fire fighters contributed more than $260,000 to FIREPAC. Of the 196 races in which FIREPAC contributed money, 174 candidates were victorious for an overall 89 percent win record.
The 101st U.S. Congress acknowledges the dangers inherent in firefighting and takes steps to reduce some of the risks. Among the legislative issues addressed are passage of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and the expansion of the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program to provide a $100,000 indexed payment to fire fighters who are permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty.
Mrs. Marilyn Quayle, wife of Vice President Dan Quayle, participates in a ceremony to honor NBC News as a winner of the 1990 IAFF Media Awards Contest.
The IAFF completes its training course, “Hazardous Materials Training for First Responders,” through a grant program funded by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. The training emphasizes the health and safety of fire fighters based on their level of experience. The three-day program and materials are disseminated to state fire training agencies, colleges and universities, IAFF state associations and local unions.
The IAFF cancels its 1990 Burn Foundation Conference scheduled for Las Vegas in March. The IAFF’s support of the American Federation of Musicians during its recent labor dispute in Las Vegas results in this decision to cancel.
“Just as it is very important for every IAFF member to exercise his right as an American or Canadian citizen to cast their ballots on Election Day, it is also critical that we all play a financial role in ensuring the success of those federal issues that threaten our paychecks, our pensions and benefits, and our lives such as: hazardous materials transportation; limitations on early retirement; taxation of employee benefits; and mandatory Social Security coverage of certain state and local employees.”Al Whitehead, IAFF General President (1988-2000)
More than 225 IAFF members engage in a frank and open discussion of issues affecting minority and female IAFF members at the IAFF Civil Rights Conference in Denver, Colorado.
The 40th IAFF Convention is held in St. Louis, Missouri. The motto for the Convention is “A Proud Profession. A Bold Union. A Brighter Future.” The IAFF’s Department of Occupational Health and Safety offers voluntary screening of cholesterol levels. The average cholesterol level of delegates is 199 mg/dl. The IAFF aids Greyhound bus drivers on a picket line at the downtown St. Louis terminal.
The IAFF’s “1988 Annual Death and Injury Survey” places more emphasis on lost work time and premature fire fighter retirements caused by line-of-duty injuries, illnesses and contagious disease exposures. Fire fighter lost work hours resulting from line-of-duty injuries cost the public more than $150 million in 1988.
The IAFF produces a new video, Staffing for Survival, which is designed to assist locals in making a strong case to the public and in public hearings and arbitration for minimum staffing levels for four fire fighters per piece of apparatus.
IAFF affiliates raise $8 million for the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.
More than 180,000 professional fire fighters are members of the IAFF.
All affiliates receive a new IAFF manual, “Public Relations: Putting It All Together.”
Due to recent developments in a federal court case involving FLSA claims for federal fire fighters, the IAFF requests copies of collective bargaining agreements for all federal locals.
Jockey Alberto Delgado rides the winning horse at the IAFF Burn Foundation Race at the Pimlico, Maryland, race course.
The IAFF makes a new $2 million Catastrophe Major Medical Insurance Plan available to all U.S. members and their spouses, regardless of age, effective February 1991. Other family members are eligible to apply even if the member chooses not to do so.
In a major victory for the IAFF, the Canadian Labour Congress reaffirms the International’s position as the only fire fighters’ union in Canada with the right to affiliate with the national labor organization.
The IAFF announces the inception of a new Canadian supplement to the bi-monthly International Fire Fighter devoted exclusively to the activities and issues of Canadian locals and provincial affiliates. This new supplement replaces the separate quarterly magazine, Canadian Fire Fighter, which is produced by the Ottawa office and has a circulation of 2,500 copies.
The IAFF offers a collection of insignia watches to support FIREPAC. Prices range from $95 to $150, depending on type of watch face and strap.
The IAFF Executive Board adopts a new IAFF logo policy. Only authorized IAFF affiliates, including locals, state and provincial associations, ladies’ auxiliaries and firms producing products on behalf of the IAFF, are permitted to use it.
The IAFF solicits members’ design ideas for a new commemorative medal honoring union fire fighters killed in the line of duty.
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.