Brothers:
The inaugural conference on the LMI is in Phoenix, Dec. 10-11, 2008, it's on both the IAFF and the IAFC's websites. Here's what the IAFF and the IAFC leaders signed:
IAFC/IAFF Labor-Management Initiative
Guiding Principles
The following principles have been developed and agreed to by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in the true spirit of cooperation for the enhancement of the fire/EMS service and the communities it serves. We recognize that mutual adherence to these values requires the constant effort of labor and management representatives.
Guiding Principles:
- To recognize that labor and management have a mutual goal of ensuring the well-being and safety of fire/EMS personnel and providing high quality service to the public.
- To work together to improve communications, enhance training, increase participative decision-making, and promote a labor-management relationship based upon mutual trust, respect, and understanding.
- To create labor-management partnerships by forming labor-management committees at appropriate levels, or adapting, as necessary, existing councils or committees if such groups exist.
- To provide systemic training to labor and management leaders on collaborative methods of dispute resolution, recognizing that this process allows management and union leaders to identify problems and craft solutions to better serve their members and the public.
- To promote these principles to our respective members at all levels of both organizations.
Signed this 16th day of August , 2008
(Original signed)
Chief Steven P. Westermann, CFO
Mr. Harold A. Schaitberger
IAFC President IAFF General President