December 12, 2008

Firefighters join union chapter

       Greenwood's firefighters decided to join a local chapter of an international union of firefighters.  Members of the Greenwood Fire Department now can voluntarily join the International Association of Firefighters White River Township Local 4252, which will be renamed the Johnson County chapter.  The firefighters decided to join largely because of tradition, brotherhood and the benefits the union offers, union president Mark Hart said.  Firefighters aren't concerned about pay, benefits or work conditions but hope to have more community involvement through a union, Greenwood firefighter Matt Davidson said.  Greenwood does not allow collective bargaining with groups of city employees, city attorney Shawna Koons-Davis said. Greenwood does allow city council members, who control the city's purse strings, to meet and confer with public safety employees about pay and benefits.

         About two-thirds of Greenwood's full-time firefighters voted to join the international union, which funds research into safety gear and lobbies Congress about various safety issues.  Greenwood firefighters already benefit from much of what the union has done, including helping set national standards of how many personnel are needed to fight fires and how suits should be designed so firefighters are visible while responding to crashes, Davidson said.  The union also lobbies for causes that would benefit Greenwood firefighters, such as federal benefits for heart and lung disease caused by firefighters' exposure to heat, smoke and stress.  "We firefighters have our own culture, and we believe in paying our own way," he said. "We've been getting the benefits from this, but we haven't been paying our fair share."  A minimum of $36 per month will be deducted from each member firefighter's paycheck for dues.

         Firefighters in White River Township, Franklin and Perry Township in Indianapolis also are members of the union.  A local union chapter in Greenwood could conduct fundraisers and possibly establish a scholarship fund for firefighters' children, Hart said.  "This is about brotherhood, the fraternity we share," Davidson said. "When you literally spend a third of your life at the firehouse, it's a lifestyle, and the union is a part of that. We felt now was the time to do it."  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)
 
    

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