CDF Newsletter March 2014-1

VOL. XLVIII NO. 1
MARCH 2014
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
A
Chief Executive Officer
MIKE LOPEZ
Director of Operations
JIM NOLAN
Production Director
HANK EPLING
flashpoint@cdf-firefighters.org
www.cdffirefighters.org
STATE OFFICERS
KEVIN O’MEARA
MIKE LOPEZ
DISTRICT III
CLIFF ALLEN
DISTRICT IV
PAUL VAN GERWEN
DISTRICT V
JIM CRAWFORD
DISTRICT VI
TIM EDWARDS
DISTRICT VII
RICK SWAN
DISTRICT VIII
BOB WOLF
DISTRICT IX
PRESIDENT
GENERAL VICE PRESIDENT
FINANCE DIRECTOR
STATE SUPERVISOR DIRECTOR
STATE RANK & FILE DIRECTOR
STATE RETIREE DIRECTOR
PAST PRESIDENT
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE
AARON READ
LEGAL COUNSEL
GARY MESSING
PUBLIC POLICY
TERRY MCHALE
INSURANCE ADMINISTRATOR
DOUG FREEMAN
PAUL PROVENCE
RICK CANNADY
DAN SUMMERVILLE
TIM STEWART
GLENN FLAMIK
RANDY SCALES
DISTRICT X
HEADQUARTERS OFFICE
Mary Maulhardt
Executive Secretary
Danielle Kelsch
Membership Coordinator
HARRY J WILSON & CO
(800) 549-4242
Jenny Horst
Staff Counsel
CHAPLAIN
JIM COOK
Jennifer Sullivan
Office Technician
DISTRICT VICE
PRESIDENTS
CDF FIREFIGHTERS
PAUL DUNCAN
DISTRICT I
DARREN DOW
DISTRICT II
COVER PHOTO:
Official Publication of the
CDF Firefighters • IAFF 2881
1731 J Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 609-8700
www.cdffirefighters.org
CAL FIRE/DEER SPRINGS FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
STRUCTURE FIRE IN VALLEY CENTER
BY ANTHONY CARRASCO
2
recent Wall Street Journal story
mentioned that over the past
decade an unusually large number of Americans – particularly
those in western states – have
lost their homes to wildfires.
The numbers provided by CAL
FIRE, which began tracking this data back in
the 1920s, says that 12 of California’s 20 largest wildfires in terms of acreage occurred in
the past 11 years.
Experts attribute this phenomenon to several factors and the Wall Street Journal lists
the major ones as shifting climate conditions,
more droughts and a growing population.
The Journal mentioned the most damaging
of the recent fires destroyed more than 7,800
California structures.
In the past, CDF Firefighters has worked on
legislation that created enforceable standards
for development in high-risk areas. We have
also been on record in educating policymakers on the importance of encouraging smart
growth with smart fire-resistant products. The
folly of building in the same way, in the same
troubled spots is self-defeating for the homeowner and expensive to the taxpayer.
I believe that the significant recognition of
the problem by the Wall Street Journal is the
signal that a serious discussion on fire safety
and a comprehensive fire safety program
needs to be engendered by those of us who
have spent our lives on the frontline. It is my
hope that a symposium dealing with the bold
facts of the consequences of fire, as well as
the adventurous ideas for preparation and
response, can be held sooner rather than later.
fighting wildfires – to be able to draw funds
from a special disaster account when the
cost of tackling wildfires exceeds their annual
budgets. It is the same approach the federal
government currently takes when responding
to hurricanes and tornadoes.
This sensible funding source will also
release much of the tensions within the Interior
and Agriculture departments as it relates to
fire. In the past, both of the departments have
said that fires are not part of their fundamental mission and the increased costs put an
extraordinary strain on the work they are in
place to do.
Of course, this also begs the question that
if the fundamental mission of the Interior and
Agriculture departments does not deal with
wildfires, then perhaps in our symposium
discussion we should discuss with greater
pragmatism the role of firefighters in the federal government.
I think all of us would agree that a federal
fire department that recognizes firefighters as
employees with a daily public safety role is a
common sense approach.
FEDERAL E-FUND
Fraternally,
Mike Lopez
Currently, our fundamental responsibility is
to prevent fires from getting away from us.
Historically, that is ten acres in a one-day burn.
However, it is a stark reality that catastrophic fires are part of living in the West.
Our E-Fund allows for responsible handling
of emergency situations and a reliable budget
response to the cost.
Those fires that go over initial response are
handled through the E-Fund that the legislature appropriates in real-cost terms.
This paradigm, which works so well in
California, is now being considered in the
president’s new budget.
Julie Pace, the White House correspondent
for the Associated Press, wrote that President
Obama wants the Interior and Agriculture
departments – the two agencies tasked with
TWO-YEAR SESSION
We are now entering the second year of a
two-year session with the California State
Legislature. More than 1,000 new bills were
introduced in the final week of February. Our
team at Aaron Read & Associates is reviewing
these bills and the particular impacts they have
to public safety.
As always, feel free to call me at any time.
MESSAGE FROM LOU PAULSON |
PRESIDENT, CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS
A RICH TRADITION AND
A PROUD PARTNERSHIP
I
n October of 1938, the United States was
still in the midst of the Great Depression
and headed toward a world war. That
same month, the International Fire
Fighters of California was established
as the state council for the International
Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Its
mission: make life better for California
firefighters and their families.
Seventy-five years later, that same organization – now known as California Professional
Firefighters – has held true to that mission. In
the process, CPF has become one of the most
innovative and influential labor organizations
in the nation.
I’m honored to be serving as president
of CPF during this, its 75th anniversary celebration. During those three generations,
firefighting has grown from an occupation still
largely populated by volunteers to a sophisticated and highly regarded profession. I’m
proud to say that CPF has been at the forefront
of virtually every significant advance in the
careers, health and well being of California’s
first responders: firefighter presumption laws,
the right to organize and negotiate for secure
pay and benefits, and, recently, the Firefighters
Bill of Rights.
During the first half of the 20th Century,
joining a union was a dangerous thing to do.
When CPF was chartered, there were only 10
affiliated IAFF locals. Over the course of its
first three decades, membership grew to more
than 8,000 and the organization was at the
forefront of a signature event in the history of
labor in California—the right to organize and
collectively bargain (AB 618 in 1959).
In 1982, the firsts continued when Governor
Jerry Brown signed CPF’s AB 3011 into law, the
nation’s very first firefighter cancer presumption law (CPF has continued to strengthen
California’s cancer presumption laws throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s and beyond).
That same year, the California Department of
Forestry Employees Association – the association that represents the firefighters of the
California Department of Forestry – was organized as IAFF Local 2881 and became part
of what was then known as Federated Fire
Fighters of California, with its own dedicated
seat on the Executive Board. Over the years,
CPF and California firefighters as a whole have
benefitted from strong, committed leadership
at Local 2881.
The guiding force behind Local 2881’s existence was Ray Snodgrass, who was president
and led the Local when the first MOU was
negotiated under the newly implemented collective bargaining law known as SEERA, in July
of 1982, the same date the affiliation became
effective. Ray’s leadership and commitment
to firefighter solidarity, with the full support
of the Executive Board of CDF Firefighters,
helped bridge the often unnecessary differences between local and state firefighters. Ray
was also instrumental in bringing CAL FIRE
(then known as CDF) into the groundbreaking California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship
Program and sat on the JAC Committee for 20
years. CAL FIRE/CDF Firefighters was one of
three participants of the JAC program during the “lean years” making sure the program
did not fail.
The strength of unity promoted by
Snodgrass and supported by the CDF
Firefighters Executive Board with the approval
of the membership, was carried on by his successors, to great benefit for all of our members.
•
CPF 6th District Vice President
Emeritus Woody Allshouse served as
Local 2881 president from 1994 to
1999, when, with the united support
of CPF and the local, he was named
as Chief Deputy Director of CAL FIRE.
•
Woody’s successor, Tom Gardner, has
maintained a long tradition of unity through
his service as a CPF Financial Trustee.
•
Sixth District Vice President Emeritus
Bob Wolf’s decade on the board included
some of the most important fights in
the history of our profession, and his
engagement with the full fire service
also helped keep wildland firefighting
issues on the front burner in the aftermath of the 2003 Cedar Fire, through the
Governors’ Blue Ribbon Fire Commission.
To this day, Local 2881 members are well represented on the CPF Board by their president,
Mike Lopez. Mike’s commitment to protecting our members showed itself immediately
in Local 2881’s enormous commitment to
the 2012 fight against Prop 32, which would
have eliminated the political voice of all labor
unions in the state. While a forceful advocate
for his members, Mike has also been steadfastly committed to the principle of “strength
through solidarity,” understanding that we all
win when we stand as one.
We have come a long way in CPF’s 75
years, but cannot rest on our laurels and must
instead continue to press forward if we hope to
hold on to what we have gained. It’s an honor
to lead an organization with such a rich legacy
of accomplishment, but our eyes are always
fixed on the road ahead. As we recognize the
successes of our past, we must always keep
our eyes fixed on the road ahead, and face the
challenges of our future together.
CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
3
48TH ANNUAL
CONVENTION
2013
SACRAMENTO, CA
By Hank Epling
Photos by Patty Hood
A
nother successful convention is
behind us and we won’t be meeting in 2014. The members have
decided to bump the convention
to January, and 2014 is the “skip”
year. The next convention will be
in January 2015.
There were 175 delegates, 56 alternates,
10 District VPs, and 7 state officers voting on
the floor. That’s one delegate per 50 members.
The President’s Banquet fed 435 on Friday
night. In addition to delegates, there were 135
guests; 9 VIPs; 65 honor guard members; and
8 staff members.
There were some behind the scenes
improvements beta-tested this year. Bob
Wolf initiated our new voting procedure; Doug
Mackey joined forces with “Flashpoint Media”
to improve the media presentations; and the
office instituted a new registration system.
At closing on Sunday, we had a new
State Rank & File Rep, Tim Edwards; a new
Supervisor Rep, Jim Crawford; and a new
Retiree Rep, Rick Swan. Three new District
Vice Presidents, Randy Scales, Paul Province,
and Darren Dow, were sworn in with the new
state officers.
The resolution process addressed 37
resolutions covering: Grooming, PPE, COLA,
Incident Rehab, PAC, Name Change, Forced
OT, Leave, Transfers, HFEO T&D, and LEMSA.
Each year’s convention activities include
the presentation of awards to recognize members, employees, contractors or cooperators
for their support of CDF Firefighters and the
membership during the year. This year, 23
members were recognized for their service.
The PAC recognized six members for exceptional contribution.
The convention drew to a close with a
renewed energy to move Local 2881 forward
another step into the future.
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CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
2013 CONVENTION
CAL FIRE
E
PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA
AWARDS
ach year’s convention includes the presentation
of awards to recognize members, employees,
contractors or cooperators for their support
of CDF Firefighters and the membership during
the year. Nominations for the awards (other
than the President’s Award) and reasons for the
recommendations are reviewed by the Awards
Selection Committee and ultimately approved by
the State Executive Board. This year’s deserving
winners were:
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Richard Cordova and Charlie Martin
Individual award given to a member, officer or
individual by the CDF Firefighters’ president for
superior accomplishment by an individual(s) in
support of CDF Firefighters.
RON BYWATER AWARD
Ray Snodgrass and Jim Nolan
Highest award given to a member, officer, or
individual by CDF Firefighters.
RON YANK AWARD – Mario Galliano
Second highest award given to a member(s),
officer(s) or individual(s) by CDF Firefighters for longterm superior dedication exemplifying honesty and
integrity in the application of the CDF Firefighters
Bylaws and Constitution.
AARON READ AWARD – Ray Snodgrass
Individual or member most deserving of recognition
for extraordinary achievement in political action on
behalf of the membership of the union.
EXECUTIVE BOARD AWARD
Liz Brown
Sam Davis
Paul Provence
Scott Davis
Hank Epling
Mike Morlan
Mike Gundry
Ray Martinez
Chris Bernard
Jim Nolan
Faith Qualtieri
Individual(s) or officer(s) most deserving of
recognition from the Executive Board of Directors
for superior accomplishment over the past year on
behalf of CDF Firefighters.
LEADERSHIP AWARD
Jeff Young
Chris Carrera
Matt Goosev
Scott Hall
Tom Bolyard
Shane Beck
Jason Luckenbach
Individual award given to a member(s), officer(s)
or individual(s) by CDF Firefighters for a specific
act or acts that display superior leadership to CDF
Firefighters each year.
SOFTBALL
TOURNAMENT
O
nce again, on May 4
and 5, CAL FIRE softball teams statewide
gathered in Pleasanton
for CAL FIRE’s Annual Softball
Tournament.
We had a total of 10 teams
come and compete for bragging
rights and the ability to say they
are the best softball team in CAL
FIRE for another year.
Ten teams are a far cry from
the number that used to come out
to play.
I played my first tournament in
1990. There were 34 teams; a great
time was had by all.
We played lots of great softball, drank ice cold beer and spent
almost 72 hours hanging out with
our brothers and sisters from one
end of the state to the other.
Saturday’s games consisted of
a round robin, 2-3 games to determine the seeding for the double
elimination playoffs on Sunday.
Fierce competition filled the
day as all teams fought to win the
Championship Trophy and take
home the “Bragging Rights” for
the year.
San Luis Obispo and Riverside
brought the muscle this year. Two
teams each battling in the last
few games of the tournament.
The Riverside Blasters defeated
the San Luis Obispo Bombers to
play in the semifinals vs. Riverside
Havoc. The winner of that game
would go on to the championship against the San Luis Obispo
Sluggers.
Riverside Havoc put an end to
the Blasters bid by defeating them
by one run; but not before the
Blasters could score 10 runs
in the last inning before
coming up one run short.
The tying run happened
to be at 3rd base
By Rick Cannady
when the 3rd out was made.
Havoc then had a monumental
task ahead of them. The Sluggers
were undefeated going into the
championship game, meaning that Havoc had to defeat San
Luis Obispo twice to win the
tournament.
Havoc went on to do just that.
They beat the Sluggers twice in
a row to become the CAL FIRE
Softball Champions once again.
The Annual CAL FIRE Softball
Tournament was again a success.
But, it could be even better if there
were more teams playing.
The tournament is scheduled
for April 4 and 5, 2014, in Pleasanton. Please get your teams
together and let’s make the annual
tournament what it once was.
For information regarding the
tournament, please contact:
Lou Ermigarat at louis.
ermigarat@fire.ca.gov or
faeermigaratbat3@hotmail.
com.
Farewell
T
By Ray Snodgrass
he first time I had an opportunity to address the convention
body was in December 1977
when I was first elected as the
state treasurer for 1978. While
this was not the beginning of
my CDF Firefighters career, it
was the beginning of my involvement at the
state level of the organization.
Fast forward to today, some 40 years after
I first became involved in this association, it
seems the time has passed in the blink of an
eye. Obviously that is not the case and many
significant events occurred during these years.
At the time, I had no idea I would still be around
after 40 years, but alas, here I am, for better
or worse.
I had the honor of serving three years as
state treasurer and then two years as president. At the time, the term of office was one
year. I later served on the state board as past
president, state supervisorial representative,
District 8 vice president, another period of time
as state supervisorial representative and finally
as your state retiree director for the past several years.
To the chagrin of some and the elation
of others, it is time for me to step aside and
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CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
let those who follow continue with the job of
representing all of our members, both active
and retired. Even though each person on the
state board is elected to a specific position,
the work of the board affects all of our members. The changes made for active employees
many times have a direct effect once a person
retires.
Along the way, I have met many people that
had a significant influence on my career, both
as an employee and employee representative.
It is dangerous to name names as it is easy
to forget to list everyone. I do need to mention a couple, however, since they remain a
part of my life even though they are no longer
with us. They are Rosemary Brooks and Lock
Richards.
Lock taught me a lot about dealing with
people, the art of saying things in such a
way as not to offend but making a point and
remaining a gentleman (I didn’t always master
that art).
Rosemary taught me discipline, improved
my spelling and sentence construction. She
also knew what I was going to do before I did
it. She was uncanny about such things; and
if I didn’t do what she thought I should, she
certainly had a way of letting me know I had
screwed up. But I grew accustomed to that
and now I truly miss those teaching sessions.
Those were my formative years.
Today and all along this journey, there have
been and are many people with whom I’ve
worked that are exceptional. I truly believe this
union and the department are in very good
positions to thrive and remain strong. Not
because of me as an individual but because
of working together as part of a team rising
to the challenge, battling to make substantial
improvements to the wages, hours and working conditions of our members.
There are continuing challenges so the
work is really never done. As we speak,
there are do-gooders out there trying to take
back many of the enhancements that we all
have fought to achieve, many taking years to
accomplish.
I step down to let the train continue on the
tracks to new heights and improvements. Your
union is in very capable hands and I am convinced new thresholds will be reached that
will benefit you in the future. This organization
has shown the way, along with the California
Association of Highway Patrolmen, to continue
representing not only the rank and file members, but those members not allowed to be a
part of the collective bargaining process. This
full service has proven to be the best model
that takes care of a member from the beginning to the end of a career as a firefighter in
CAL FIRE and also into one’s retirement years.
There is strength in numbers and those numbers truly should be maintained.
You deserve to keep your defined benefit
retirement system; you deserve to have your
pay enhanced to meet the appropriate level
for the work you do; you deserve to achieve
a more traditional firefighter work week that
rivals the current 56 hour work week. While it
may sound far-fetched today, a 53 hour work
week is not out of the question.
As I run off into the sunset, I will remain
available to assist since this organization, this
department and everyone associated with
both, are so much a part of my life. I could
go on talking about our history, the achievements and changes that have occurred due to
negotiations, meet and confer sessions and
legislative action, but I won’t bore you with
such details.
Let me leave you with a few words. These
are not my words but they seem apropos to
this occasion:
“Every struggle arises for a reason for
experience or a lesson. A great journey is
never easy, and no dose of adversity along
the way is ever a waste of time if you learn
and grow from it.”
Continue to learn and grow from the adversities and experiences you will encounter. As
Mr. Spock always says upon parting ways,
“Live Long and Prosper.”
Ray Snodgrass
President Emeritus
CDF FIREFIGHTERS
WEBSITE
I
n the Fall of 2013, CDF Firefighters
lunched its new website. It was designed
to have both public and members-only
sections. Information on the public site
contains content to explain to the public
what CDF Firefighters Local 2881 (CAL
FIRE Local 2881) is all about. It’s a place to
check on our upcoming events, research our
charities, to watch videos and view photographs of our brothers and sisters in action
and find a union officer. In the near future,
individuals will be able to make online tax
deductible donations to some of our charities.
To gain access to the members-only section, you must be an active or retired member
of CAL FIRE Local 2881. The members only
section gets you access to forms and documents, our MOU and the latest information.
Also included is a link to our Incident Exposure
Reporting network. In order to access the
member-only section you must:
1. Be an active or retired member in good
standing of Local 2881.
2. Register online, through the public section (www.cdffirefighters.org).
3. Use your IAFF membership number.
(Every member, active and retired, was
issued an IAFF membership number. If
you have forgotten or misplaced your
IAFF number, please e-mail us using the
“Contact Us” tab at the bottom of the
website to request your IAFF number.)
Our website is connected to all of our social
media sites, as well as links to important sites
for work and information.
If you have any questions regarding our
website, please use the “Contact Us” tab on
the bottom of the website. This will be the fastest way to get answers.
SIZES SMALL-XL
LARGER SIZES ADDITIONAL SEE WEBSITE
Available through
CDF Firefighters Company Store
www.distinctiverecognition.com/cdf
Click on Fundraiser Tab
PROCEEDS WILL GO TOWARDS THE RICHARD J. ERNEST SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Farewell
By Ken Hale
I
bid you all adieu. It’s been a long
run. Unfortunately, the finish line is
still not in sight, and indeed it may
never be. As much as I don’t want
to quit before the race is over my
energy wanes, old wounds reappear, and my chipped, bloody
sword becomes much heavier for
me to hold. Younger hands must
take up the task. Therefore, farewell.
I left the frontlines of firefighting to defend
our rights. Frontline firefighting was something
I was designed for, I believe. Leaving it for a
desk job was a hard decision for me. In April
2004, there was a need for someone to step up
and I was one of the chief complainers about
what was going on. If I thought things were
amiss, then it was necessary for me to put my
hat in the ring. During the summer and fall of
2004, Mike Mattia and I split time at the rank
and file desk, though Mike did most of it. You
elected me to protect your rights. So I left the
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CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
frontline and came here to represent you and
you have honored me by electing me to this
office five times.
I need to put this decision into context. I
was addicted to frontline firefighting. Life on a
knife’s edge is crystal clear. Make a mistake,
you die. Succeed and become a hero or heroine. The hero or heroine part we don’t think
about when we are engaged. But the clarity and adrenaline keep us in this profession
year after year. I lived to fight fires. I was alive
when I was doing my job, every second etched
into my memory. There is nothing like it I have
ever experienced, not jumping off cornices
with skis, not surfing big waves, not sailing
through gales. While all of these experiences
have strong memories, they do not contain the
same clarity of purpose, the same crystal clear
memory that fighting fires has welded into me.
Leaving the frontline was very difficult for
me, but protecting the rights of our firefighters was a higher calling, so I gave up my first
love, the frontline, to engage in a different battle. (My first love is actually my wife, Shannon,
but that is a different diatribe.) It was and is a
higher calling because of the number of firefighters involved and the purpose of protecting
the rights of those firefighters. Justice is my
other great passion (again, Shannon excluded).
I pursued this calling because I thought I could
make a difference.
Actually, if my memory has not completely
gone astray, I was very vocal in my opposition
to what was occurring during the last months
of a failed administration of the state rank
and file director who held that office in early
2004. It came to a point where I needed to
put my money where my mouth was; that is, I
needed to step up if I wanted change. As I sit
here this evening, I can say I’ve made a difference in some cases. I am not sure about the
impact I’ve made overall. I can say that CAL
FIRE management knows we will fight them
on principle issues, sometimes at great cost.
But the message is still clear. Cross the line,
we will fight! They understand now that unilateral changes, at whatever level, have costly
ramifications.
We are a union. I’m not sure what that word
means to any of you. I know what it means to
me. Individually, we have no voice, at least
not a voice those in power are likely to listen
to. Apart we are a whisper. Together we have
the volume that causes those in power and
those who oppose us to take notice. That unity
gives us strength; it gives each of us a helping hand when we are singled out, it allows us
to demand due process under the law, and it
gives us the monetary power to change the
world into one that is more amicable to the
working man or woman. I cannot overstate
the importance of this to all of us.
Unions were formed at the beginning of
the industrial revolution. Workers banded
together because they were starving and helpless against the abuses dumped on them by
the owners of the mills, factories, and mines.
The owners controlled everything. Mills and
factories frequently paid employees in scrip
issued by the company. That scrip was only
good in the company store and could only be
used one place, the company store. All the
owner had to do to increase his profits was to
increase prices at the company store, as that
was the only place company workers could
spend their earnings. By increasing prices the
owner was able to cut wages, as well. If a dollar worth of scrip suddenly bought less food
to put on the table, if it could be exchanged
only for a smaller bolt of cloth, the wage per
hour did not buy nearly as much. Most early
unions were formed from the desperation of
workers caught in this cycle. People were
working six and seven days a week, twelve
to sixteen hours a day and were still not able
to put enough food on the table to feed their
families while the company owners and upper
management lived the life of princes. Workers
who crossed the owners risked being blackballed. Despite the dire situation of most of the
workers I’ve described above, being blackballed was much worse. It was tantamount to
an order to starve the employee’s family and
expose them to the elements of winter as most
worker housing was company owned. Cross
the boss and lose the roof over your head as
well as food in your children’s bellies.
One of the first labor unions to form in this
country was a collection of seamstresses in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The women banded
together in the early 1800’s because their children were going hungry even though they were
working twelve to sixteen hours a day, six
days a week. This strike had some success.
A wage decrease and longer hours at the mill
were rescinded. The leaders of the strike were
blackballed. Some of them died that winter
from exposure and hunger during the winter
of 1824-25. Over the last two centuries, our
union brothers and sisters fought and suffered
through battles that included beatings, murder,
and in at least one case, being massacred by
machine guns fired by U.S. Army troops. Their
sacrifice and perseverance has allowed each
of us the freedoms and choices we have today.
The union movement progressed very
slowly in the nineteenth century. Union leaders were faced with one setback after another,
but there were also slow successes until the
Great Depression. It was during this economic
cataclysm that labor was finally recognized as
crucial for the economic survival of this country. President Roosevelt needed the factories
to go back to work to get the U.S. out of the
Depression, so he signed the National Labor
Relations Act of 1935. That was followed by
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. These
two laws set the standards under which most
of us work today, i.e. an eight-hour workday, a
five-day workweek, overtime for more than 40
hours a week, and most important, the right
to form and join unions. Unionization of industry in the U.S. is one of the major contributors
to the creation of the largest middle class
the world has ever known. That would be the
middle class in the United States of America.
WWII pushed the equation in the union’s favor.
The whole country went back to work building
ships, tanks, rifles, and everything else that
was needed to win. Wages increased in both
union and non-union shops because the union
shops set the scale. If an employer wanted
good employees, he had to pay something
similar to what that person could get working in a union shop. The war ended. We won.
With the end of WWII, the economic equation had changed in this country. Henceforth,
this economy would be based on middle-class
spending. The economy boomed. Most of us
grew up in middle-class homes. We had a car
in the garage, a roof over our heads that did
not belong to the company, and good food on
the table. We did not belong to a company.
We were free.
While I will not belabor the history of the
union movement any longer, it is imperative
that each of us know whose shoulders we
are standing on and how it came to be that
we enjoy such a high standard of living compared to the rest of the world. Those who came
before us suffered greatly, some even died, for
what we have today. Unions played a great
part in the creation of the middle class most
of us grew up in. We must all understand the
foundation that those who came before us laid.
They had the greater good for all working people in mind. We create the product; we should
share in the bounty created by that product.
For us in the fire service, it is a bit different. We protect the product, homes, and lives
of those who create not only the ideas that
keep this country moving, but those whose
labor takes those ideas and makes them into
a thing all of us can touch. For our sacrifice,
we earn our share.
It’s been a good run. You have honored me
with the confidence shown by electing me five
times. As I stated earlier, it is time for younger
blood to step up and take this bloodied but
still sharp and well used sword from my hand.
You will all have to indulge me with this last
bit. There are a multitude of people whom I
need to thank publicly. First and foremost, I
want to thank my wife Shannon for putting up
with me through all the travails that come with
this job. As I’ve told many of you, I’m pretty
sure she is going for sainthood, even though
we are not Catholic. We’ve been married for
31 years in March. My two daughters, Kelly
and Kayla, have been important in keeping
me moderately sane. Reeling “Dad” back in
and making me place my feet firmly on the
ground is a gift that both of them gave me…..
well, at least sometimes. Bob Wolf is my friend.
Continued on page 12
OLD SOLDIERS
NEVER DIE
I first met Ken Hale when we worked
together in the early 1980s at the Sunol
Station in the Santa Clara Unit.
After working with Ken, it did not
take me long to recognize his many
talents and attributes. He was a good,
aggressive firefighter and a tenacious
hard worker, who would not give up on
even the most difficult task (kind of like
a pit bull on a mailman’s ankle!).
M a ny ye a r s a g o w h e n Ke n
approached me about getting involved
with this great union I encouraged him
to do so. When he approached me
about running for the office of State
Rank & File Director I clearly warned
him about the daunting workload that
he was about to take on, and I supported him in his winning election
campaign.
Now flash forward these many years
and we are celebrating the incredible
odyssey that is Ken’s career as your
State Rank & File Director. As it turns
out, I have mixed feelings about all
this. While I am glad that I encouraged
Ken to run and I appreciate his many
accomplishments, I somehow feel like
I (we) owe his beautiful wife Shannon
and his daughters an apology for all
the time they missed with Ken during
those years.
On April 19, 1951, in his retirement
address, General Douglas Macarthur
said “Old soldiers never die, they just fade
away.” Ken you don’t have to fade away
but you should slow down and enjoy your
family and make new memories.
Job well done my friend
Steve Barrett
CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
9
TEAM CALFI
In 2013, Team CAL FIRE participated in a wide variety of events.
RUNNING:
5K fun runs, Mud Runs, Color Runs, Electric
Runs, RAGNAR (24-hour running relay), Half
and Full Marathons like the Tinkerbell Half,
Avalon 50 mile run, San Diego Marathon,
many of the Rock N Roll Marathons and we
have one member, FC Kari Thompson, who
qualified for Boston next year.
CYCLING:
Century Bike Rides and the Death Race.
TRIATHLON:
Our members participated in triathlons from
sprint distance to full Ironman.
Some of these were Tri-Harder-4 Kids,
Spring Sprint, Solana Beach, Palm Springs
Desert, Mission Bay, Tri-Rock, Wildflower,
Vineman and Lake Tahoe.
We would really like to expand our reach
and find out what people are doing throughout the rest of our department, as well as
assist in supporting your needs both with
apparel, training and logistics.
If you would like information about Team
CAL FIRE membership and apparel, please
email Jeff Foy at jfoy74@yahoo.com
Please enjoy some of the pictures from this
year’s events!
10 CDF NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY 2014
IRE
Iron man Lake Tahoe
CDF NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY 2014
11
FIRE SEASON 2014
T
By: Hank Epling • FlashPoint Media
he first of November used to be a significant date because we just turned
in our annual vacation request and
focused on winterizing the wildland-only stations before Thanksgiving. Well,
welcome to Fire Season 2014.
For California, 2013 was the driest year since
the state started measuring rainfall in 1849.
We’ve had 13 significant fires spanning over
8000 acres since mid-November. Each unit is
responding daily to small vegetation fires too
numerous to mention. CAL FIRE has reported
that from January 1 to January 25, 2014, there
have been 406 fires and 1,002 acres burned.
Here are some stats: Red,HUU,333ac;
Campbell, TGU, 500ac; Bridge, HUU, 18ac;
Honcut, BTU, 60ac; Grant, SCU, 40ac; Refuse,
MEU, 15ac; Pfeiffer, BEU,917ac; Happy Camp,
Continued from page 9
I could always go into Bob Wolf’s office
and bounce ideas off of him and talk
about problems. We worked together
for more than eight years. I will miss
Mary Maulhardt’s smile and laughter. I will also miss her frown when
something has gone awry, especially
during board meetings, though sometimes those frowns were directed at
me for trying to inject a little levity into
the meeting. Perhaps my timing was
bad on occasion, but it made the time
go faster for me. Each of us needs to
thank Jenny Horst for all her efforts in
general, and I want to thank her in particular for her ability to take some of
the workload off of me. It has been a
pleasure to watch her blossom into the
staff counsel we have needed for years.
I would be remiss if I did not mention
Danielle and Jennifer of our office, as
both have made life in the office a bit
easier. There are many more I should
name, the entire bargaining team, my
good friends Ray Snodgrass, Gary
Messing, and Ron Yank, but I fear the
list will be too long. Lastly, I want to
thank all of you who have stepped up
to fill rank and file rep positions. I have
learned something from every one
of you. Thank all of you for that. I’m
two months into my tenth year as your
State Rank and File Director, so there
are many, many more I should thank
for their assistance. I apologize to all
of you I’ve left off this list for the sake
of expedience.
VNC, 44ac; McCabe, LNU, 3505ac; Burner,
LNU, 50ac; Ken, High Grade, MEU, 305ac;
Colby, LAC,1952; Brewer, NEU, 120; Lake,
106, FKU.
It’s not over. There has only been trace
amounts of rain in Northern California from a
recent storm and wildland fuel moistures are
at record lows.
On January 17, Governor Jerry Brown
declared the following:
A PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF
EMERGENCY
WHEREAS the State of California is experiencing record dry conditions, with 2014 projected
to become the driest year on record; IT IS
HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
The California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection will hire additional seasonal firefighters to suppress wildfires and take other
needed actions to protect public safety during this time of elevated fire risk.
In response to the Governor’s Proclamation,
CAL FIRE announced on January 28 that
they were hiring 125 firefighters in the north.
Southern California has extended their staffing accordingly.
Without significant rainfall, CAL FIRE firefighters can expect that measures will be taken
to continue staffing engines in anticipation of
predicted dry weather patterns with occasional wind events.
Although there is nothing we can do about
the weather, we can continue to remind our
communities of the severe risk and the measures they can take to prevent accidental fire
due to poor decisions and risky behavior.
THE COURT OF APPEALS
UPHOLDS
FFBOR
I
Thank you for allowing me to represent you.
Ken Hale
Outgoing State Rank and File Director
CDF Firefighters, IAFF Local 2881
12 CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
By Gary Messing & Jason Jasmine
n 2007, the California Legislature enacted
the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights
Act (“FFBOR”), which provided firefighters
throughout California with a set of protections similar (and, in many respects,
identical) to those protections provided to
peace officers under the Public Safety Officers’
Procedural Bill of Rights Act. It was not until
the end of 2013, however, that the California
Court of Appeal issued a published decision
squarely focused on interpreting a provision
of the FFBOR (Poole v. Orange County Fire
Authority).
In this case, the Court of Appeal ruled that
the Orange County Fire Authority violated the
FFBOR when a fire captain maintained daily
logs containing adverse comments on the
activities of firefighters for use in performance
evaluations without the firefighters having the
opportunity to review and submit a written
response to those comments.
The FFBOR (like the POBR for peace officers) provides that a firefighter shall not have
“any comment adverse to his or her interest
entered in his or her personnel file, or any other
file used for any personnel purposes by his
or her employer, without the firefighter having
first read and signed the instrument containing the adverse comment indicating he or she
is aware of the comment.” Poole’s fire captain
kept a separate file at the fire station on each
of the firefighters he supervised. He characterized those files as “daily logs” documenting
the activities of the firefighters, and these logs
were kept solely for a personnel purpose –
for the fire captain’s use in preparing yearly
evaluations (or evaluations required by a performance improvement plan).
Poole was unaware of any adverse comments in this file maintained by the fire captain
until he received his yearly evaluation. Even
then, he was only informed of the adverse comments that actually made it into the evaluation.
It was not until his representative demanded to
see all of the adverse comments that he was
finally able to see all of them (in some cases,
a year and a half after the adverse comments
were made). Poole had never previously seen
the comments, nor was he provided the opportunity to sign an acknowledgement of receipt
of such comments or provided any opportunity for his written response to the comments.
In a unanimous decision, the Court of
Appeal concluded that because these “daily
logs” were used for personnel purposes, the
files were subject to the protections of the
FFBOR. It defeats the purpose and intent of
the FFBOR if firefighters cannot review and
respond to adverse comments until their yearly
evaluation. The Court of Appeal specifically
noted that Poole could not be expected to
remember the details underlying the adverse
comments “months and months” later when
he was finally made aware of the adverse
comments in the course of his yearly evaluation. Thus, Poole was entitled to review and
respond to any adverse comments contained
in those daily logs immediately.
UPDATE: The California Supreme Court
has recently accepted this case for review.
NEW OFFICERS
STATE RANK AND FILE DIRECTOR
DISTRICT 2 VICE PRESIDENT
DARREN DOW
PAUL PROVENCE
Tim started with CAL FIRE in 1994. He
was stationed in the Tulare Unit’s Fountain Springs Station. Tim has had
assignments in San Bernardino and
Riverside Units. He spent eight years
in the Indio Battalion and three years
on a truck in Rubidoux. Currently, Tim
is with Temecula Station 92, Riverside.
Tim has been married for 21 years to
his wonderful wife, Deborah. They have
two children, Kyle and Jennifer.
Tim lives in Rancho Cucamonga. He
enjoys Scuba diving, snow skiing and
is a diehard Oakland Raiders and LA
Kings fan.
“I look forward to working with the
membership to move this great organization forward.”
Darren held the position of Chapter
Director in the Siskiyou Chapter and
has been a union member for 24 years,
and a union officer since 2002. Darren
became involved in the union due to the
influence of John Berggreen, who once
challenged him to “put up or shut up.”
The rest is history.
Darren is a Fire Captain in the Siskiyou Unit, working currently at the
Hornbrook Station, California’s northern most CAL FIRE station. He is
married to his beautiful wife, Inez, and
has 3 children. Mariana (26), Cindy (24),
and Dillon (20). He also has two grandsons, Caiden (5) and Tyler (2).
“I am extremely proud and humbled
to be able to represent the members
of the 2nd District. I am very thankful
for the leadership that Tom McConnel
has provided to the membership. He is
a very good friend and mentor.”
Paul is currently working as a Fire
Captain in the Santa Clara Unit at the
Emergency Command Center. He has
worked as a Captain and Engineer in
the San Mateo/ Santa Cruz Unit and
as a Firefighter 1 in the Monterey/San
Benito Unit. In addition to the Command Center, Paul has worked as
an Engine Captain, Training Captain,
Schedule “A” Engineer, Helitack and
engine firefighter. Union positions that
Paul has held are Deputy District V
Vice President, as well as the Deputy
Chapter Director North for San Mateo/
Santa Cruz.
“I live in Oceano (Pismo Beach area)
with my family, dogs, and fish. I look
forward to serving the membership and
thank them for the opportunity to serve.”
TIM EDWARDS
PAC AWARDS
On the last day of the 48th Annual CDF Firefighters
Convention, PAC Chair Dennis O’Brien announced
and thanked the recipients of the 2013 PAC Awards
for the voluntary contributions made to our political
action committees:
$100 Pin
DISTRICT 5 VICE PRESIDENT
Tim
Williams, LMU
$1000 Clock Jim Crawford, SCU
John Irwin, LNU
Andy Murphy, TCU
Roger Raines, FKU
$2000 Name on Plaque Cliff Allen, BEU
/No Retiree Dues
CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
13
MY FIRST TRIP
TO THE LOCAL 2881 CONVENTION
Several members of the District VIII – San Luis
Obispo Chapter Delegation to the 2013 were
attending convention for the very first time and
took the time to provide their thoughts.
“My first trip to the CDF Firefighters Convention was an eye opener. I knew it would be
a good time from talk around the fire stations,
but what I did not expect was the incredible
amount of time and work our representatives
dedicated to union business in a relatively short
period of time. The days were busy and long,
with not much down time. Rank & File members
tirelessly pour their hearts and souls into fighting for CAL FIRE employees and supporting
their families in times of need, and it was great
to hear the stories from all around California.
They are organized and work well together to
educate our members on important issues that
affect our pay and benefits. The best surprise
was how willing our union leadership was to talk
one-on-one with any member. After attending, I
feel even more privileged to be part of the CAL
FIRE family and know the future of our department and employees are in great hands.”
Joe Hatch, Fire Apparatus Engineer SLU
“I was given the opportunity to go to Convention
and also recently attended a Basic Rep class in
Sacramento. Learning the process of how resolutions are brought to convention and seeing
how dedicated and driven our members are to
provide the best working environment and representation for all of us has made me very proud
to be a part of our union. I would recommend to
any company officer in our department to get
into a Basic Rep Class, or go to Convention to
understand what it is our union does and the
process used. Being able to have conversa-
tions with different members throughout the
state has made me realize how diverse and
strong we are, and we the members, are what
make it so.”
Rusty Parkinson, Fire Apparatus Engineer SLU
“The San Luis Obispo Chapter Director, Steve
Meikle, asked me if I would be interested in
attending the 2013 CDF Firefighters 48th Annual
Convention as an alternate. Without hesitation,
I said yes. I have been a member of our union
since 1984 but have never attended the convention and I looked forward to the experience.
Without any preconceived ideas, I approached
the experience with an open mind, open ears
and curiosity.
“From the very beginning, I was impressed
with how organized everything was. Obviously
a tremendous amount of planning is needed
for any large event such as a convention and
it was clear to me that these planners were
on their game. Before we even arrived, District 8 Vice President, Tim Stewart, called our
group to ensure that we knew when and where
our first caucus meeting would be. That evening during the meeting, he explained in detail
what was ahead for the next few days and what
to expect from our individual assignments.
Together, we reviewed the resolutions, went
over the convention schedule and discussed
what was expected of the District 8 representatives and guests. Tim made it clear that the
next few days would involve some long work
hours and provide good interaction with many
fellow firefighters. Prevalent throughout was a
feeling of professionalism.
“The next day, the honor guard kicked off
the opening ceremonies with a great display.
POLICY MOTIONS ADOPTED AT THE DECEMBER 9-11,
2013, CDF FIREFIGHTERS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
Moved to approve the change to Section 252.10.C of the operating
policy as presented: “The members are selected per for PAC
Constitution (Article 4, Section 2 – five seven members selected by the
executive board – CDF Firefighters General Vice President, a past CDF
Firefighters president and three five members at large).”
Moved to adopt the formatting changes to Section 1500, Positions
Statements.
14 CDF NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY 2014
The first time seeing and hearing the entire
honor guard together was quite a sight….and
sound. The honor guard performed several
times throughout the convention, and wowed
the crowd every time. We should all be proud
of the dedicated members that work so hard
to be part of this elite group. I thank them for
representing our department so well.
“Throughout the convention, I was continually impressed by the professionalism and
reasonableness of the process. Some of the
resolutions were a bit self-serving and not necessarily pertinent to the whole. Some were
thought provoking but needed to be edited and
returned. Some were dead on. Everywhere I
looked, focused work was in progress and great
networking was materializing. The various daily
speakers were well prepared and very relevant
in their subject matter. And did I mention how
cool the honor guard was?
“In the end, it was evident to me that the
relationship between management and labor
is healthy and there is a mutual respect that I
know hasn’t always been shared in the past.
Attending our convention allowed me to gain
a better understanding of the process and
brought to light some issues that I was not previously aware of. I feel privileged to have had
the experience and I thank the San Luis Obispo
Chapter for having me along. I feel strongly that
working together on these issues will take us
all to a better future.”
Steve Reeder, Deputy Chief SLU
“The 2013 CDF Firefighters Convention was the
first convention I have attended. I went to convention to get a better understanding of how
our union works and I did just that. The experience opened my eyes to the dedication of our
union to its members and the department. The
convention was a time to celebrate many retirements and with that I realized how important it
is that younger generations of firefighters need
to start transitioning into the roles of union leaders. For anyone who has heard that convention
is just a time to socialize they are missing a
bigger part of the picture. The reality is, like so
much in life, you get out what you put in and
if the effort is made there is a lot to be learned
from convention.”
Amber Henderson, Fire Captain SLU
2013 CONVENTION PRIORITIES
FOR 2014
Salary/pay parity increase
Health and safety security;
keeping defined benefit
56-hour work week
POLICY MOTIONS ADOPTED AT THE JANUARY 13-15, 2014
CDF FIREFIGHTERS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
Moved, to adopt the new policy Section
0321 to read:
0321 – CDF Firefighters Financial
Accounts
CDF Firefighters maintains many bank or
other finance accounts throughout the
organization. All of these accounts are
subject to all policies of CDF Firefighters,
state and federal law and IAFF policies and
bylaws.
.01 CDF Firefighters’ checks at all
levels should have a statement on the check
that reads “void after 180 days.”
.02 CDF Firefighters’ checks at the
state level for any amount exceeding
$10,000.00 shall require two signatures.
.03 Chapters and districts are required
to have two signatures on any check(s) in
excess of $2500.00.
.04 Chapter and district finance
directors shall provide access to all account
statements, checkbooks and ledgers at
every chapter or district meeting and shall
allow any member who wishes to review
the statements, checkbooks and ledgers.
The documents may not be retained by
any member or removed from the meeting
without the consent of the chair of the
meeting.
Moved, to adopt Sections 341, 342 and
343 of the operating procedures handbook
as follows:
0341 – CDF Firefighters’ chapters, districts,
honor guard and other functions that are
planning on any type of fundraising activities
must complete a fundraising approval
request form and forward it to the CDF
Firefighters’ president a minimum of 30 days
prior to the beginning of the fundraising
activity. No fundraising activity may begin
without the approval of the president or
executive board.
0342 – CDF Firefighters and all of its
entities is a “charity”
Business and Professions Code Section
17510.2 – a “charity” includes any “…
governmental employee organization which
solicits or obtains contributions solicited
from the public for charitable purposes or
holds any assets for charitable purposes.”
Government Code Section 12581 –
restrictions on charitable organizations
apply to any entity conducting fundraising
for charitable purposes. This includes CDF
Firefighters and any entity affiliated with
CDF Firefighters for charitable fundraisers.
Government Code Section 12599.6(b)
– Charitable organizations may not
misrepresent the purpose of the charitable
organization or the nature, purpose or
beneficiary of a solicitation. Section
12599.6(a) – misrepresentation can be
established by express statements, by
conduct or by failure to disclose a material
fact …
0343 – What CDF Firefighters Cannot Do
for Fundraising
Charitable organizations must NOT do
any of the following – Government Code
Section 12599.6(f)
1. Operate in violation of this act or
order of the attorney general, or after
registration is no longer valid.
2. Engage in fraud or use unfair or
deceptive practices that create
a likelihood of confusion or
misunderstanding.
3. Use any name or any other
representation that misleads a
reasonable person as to the identity of
the charitable beneficiary.
4. Misrepresent or mislead anyone
to believe that the beneficiary of a
solicitation is a charitable organization,
when it is not.
5. Misrepresent or mislead anyone to
believe that another person sponsors,
endorses or approves a charitable
solicitation, when that person has not
given consent in writing to use that
person’s name.
6. Misrepresent or mislead anyone
to believe that goods, services or
any person has any endorsement,
sponsorship, approval, characteristic
or affiliation that the person, goods or
services does not have.
7. Exploit the required attorney general
registration to imply endorsement or
approval by the attorney general.
8. Represent that a charitable organization
will receive more than the amount
reasonably estimated.
9. Distribute or offer to distribute – in
connection with the charitable
organization by public safety personnel
– membership cards, stickers,
emblems, plates or other items that
could be used for display on a motor
vehicle and that suggests affiliation with
or endorsement by any public safety
personnel or group.
10. Appear in a “for-profit” publication for
purposes of a charitable solicitation,
without making these disclosures: (a)
the publication is “for profit,” (b) the
name of the solicitor and the fact that
the solicitor is a professional solicitor,
and (c) the publication is not affiliated
with any charitable organization.
11. Represent that any part of the
contributions solicited by charity A will
be given to charity B, unless charity
B has agreed in writing prior to the
solicitation to the use of its name.
12. Representing that tickets to events
will be donated for the use by another,
unless certain requirements are met to
prevent abuse.
2014 IAFF/CPF
CONVENTION
DELEGATE
NOMINATIONS
Nominations and elections held
at the 2013 CDF Firefighters
Convention for 2014 IAFF and CPF
convention delegates resulted in the
following top ten nominees. The CPF
convention will be held May 13-16,
2014, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel
in Los Angeles. The IAFF convention
is scheduled for July 14-18, 2014, in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
IAFF
Mike Lopez
Tim Edwards
Paul Van Gerwen
Cliff Allen
Tim Stewart
Dan Summerville
Paul Duncan
Darren Dow
Rick Swan
Charles Carroll
CPF
Mike Lopez
Dan Summerville
Cliff Allen
Paul Van Gerwen
Tim Edwards
Tim Stewart
Paul Duncan
Darren Dow
Charles Carroll
Ray Snodgrass
UNDER THE DOME |
BY AARON READ, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE
T
he second year of a two year session is now in full swing.
The number of bills that will move through the Legislature is
not quite as many as the hairs on a rich man’s head, but they
are too numerous to read and review in a single sitting. In the
last week of February more than 1,000 bills were introduced.
Unfortunately, the Legislature is also operating under more of
a cloud than we have seen in more than two decades.
One senator has been convicted of eight felonies related to his filing for candidacy. He disputed what constituted his domicile and whether it meant the
actual place where he lived full time. The issue was litigated and a jury was
not persuaded that a residence and a domicile were different. Consequently,
the senator was forced from actively participating in the senate.
A second senator was stung by the FBI for a variety of offenses that resulted
in an indictment for bribery. The courts will deal with it in their own time, but
the senator has been asked to either leave the senate or his colleagues will
force his departure. That initial action will have occurred by the time this
document comes to print.
that would authorize a local agency public
employer or public retirement system that
offers a defined benefit pension plan to offer
a benefit formula with a lower benefit factor
at normal retirement age and that result in a
lower normal cost than the benefit formulas
that are currently required.
During this second session, CDF Firefighters
legislative team will be working on issue areas
ranging from sales and use taxes and their
exemptions, to the prohibition of employee
strikes (understandably so, firefighters are not
allowed to strike). We will review rules of the
road for our vehicles, workers compensation,
emergency telephone systems and the handling of social media.
Once again, it promises to be an extremely
busy year.
CHANGE AT THE TOP
ELECTIONS
LEGISLATION
All constitutional offices will be voted upon this
year. Governor Jerry Brown and Lt. Governor
Gavin Newsom, as well as Attorney General
Kamala Harris, have very little opposition. Our
state controller, John Chang, is running for
treasurer and we expect that he will coast to
victory. The very popular insurance commissioner, Dave Jones, should also have an easy
victory.
The speaker of the assembly, John Perez,
one of our youngest speakers and still considered one of our fastest rising political stars,
is running for state controller. He has credible
opposition, but no one really believes he’ll be
defeated.
All 80 assembly seats are open; 20 seats
in the senate are also going to be contested.
President Lopez and the political action
team are working closely with Aaron Read &
Associates to analyze all of the races. We’ve
also participated in many of the CPF clusters where candidates are invited to present
themselves in their vision for the future. Chris
Patterson from CPF has done an excellent job
on these interviews.
We will keep you informed of the endorsements as we move forward.
Sen. Jim Nielsen has a long history as a northern California public servant. He understands
the dynamics of our small communities and
the challenges of keeping our wildlands safe.
He has agreed to carry priority legislation for
us that will arm our law enforcement personnel appropriately. We obviously appreciate the
knowledge and passion that he brings to the
issue.
Assemblymember Rob Bonta has taken on
the challenge of the State Personnel Board.
If the State Personnel Board (SPB) fails to act
within a timely manner during administrative
proceedings, the burden of proof falls on the
employing agency when a writ of mandate is
brought by an employee. AB 2032 says that if
the SPB fails to act within its statutory timeframe, then we must balance and preserve
the respective rights and duties of the parties.
CDF Firefighters has always supported
increased transparency in governance and
finance. Currently, the law requires the controller to annually compile and publish reports
of the financial transactions of each county
and city within the state. New legislation would
raise the forfeiture amounts for all agencies.
We’re strongly opposed to legislation
16 CDF NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY 2014
Both the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
and the Speaker of the Assembly are termed
out this year. There have been preliminary
decisions made in each of their caucuses that
establish a reasonable and responsible shift
in leadership.
Senator Kevin de León is in line to replace
Darrell Steinberg. Both of them are extraordinarily capable and, while one will be missed,
the other will be welcomed.
Toni Atkins, an assemblywoman from San
Diego, has been selected to be the next
speaker. She is an astute public servant with
wonkish work habits.
BARGAINING
The dark days of the budget are behind us.
The economy is beginning to recover. The
Governor is getting credit for a turnaround that
took place under his watch. He deserves the
credit. And, while there is a priority to save for
a rainy day (no pun intended in this season of
the drought), it is time to revisit our contract.
The bargaining team is working overtime to
provide all of the information the Administration
requires. It is never an easy process, but we
intend to be positive and collaborative.
2014 RESOLUTIONS
ADOPTED AT THE 2013 CDF
FIREFIGHTERS CONVENTION
The delegates at the 48th Annual CDF Firefighters
Convention held in Sacramento adopted the
following resolutions for 2014. The resolutions
in their final format are available on our website
at cdffirefighters.org. The information is in the
members’ section under “Info - 2013 Convention
Information.”
B-J 3-13AM – Aircraft Mileage
Reimbursement – Adopted as amended
B-J 5-13 – Establish CALFIRE with LEMSAlike Status – Adopted in original form
B-R&F 3-13AM – HFEO Training and
Development Process (T&D) – Adopted as
amended
B-R&F 10-13 – To Amend the Transfer Policy
(MOU Section 9.2) – Adopted in original form
B-R&F 13-13 – Alternative Annual Leave/
Vacation Credit Usage – Adopted in original
form
B-R&F 17-13AM – Forced Overtime Policy –
Adopted as amended
C&OP 1-13AM2 – Union Name Change –
Adopted as amended
C&OP 5-13 – Emeritus Status (Jim Nolan) –
Adopted in original form
C&OP 6-13 – Emeritus Status (Bill Christen) –
Adopted in original form
C&OP 7-13 – Emeritus Status (John
Berggreen) – Adopted in original form
C&OP 8-13 – CDF Firefighters Districts and
Chapters – Adopted in original form
C&OP 9-13 – CDF Firefighters Elections –
Adopted in original form
C&OP 10-13 – CDF Firefighter Endorsements
and PAC Political Activities – Adopted in
original form
FIN 1-13AM2 – Budget Cost-of-Living
Allowance Funding – Adopted as amended
HS&I 1-13AM – Emergency Incident
Rehabilitation/Work Rest Cycle – Adopted as
amended
HS&I 2-13AM – CALFIRE PPE – Adopted as
amended
HS&I 3-13AM – Grooming Standards –
Adopted as amended
CDF NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY 2014
17
DID YOU KNOW?
•
That CDF Firefighters has fifteen retired
members? Welcome to:
William Holmes, Rescue
David Avila, Yucaipa
Charlie Garrison, McKinleyville
Dan Summerville, Butte
Cliff Williams, King City
James Yazloff, Oak Hills
David Sarmiento, Yucaipa
Mike Strande, Kneeland
Steven Woodill, San Juan Bautista
Todd Price, Chico
Steve Lawshe, Auberry
Dave Stonum, Auburn
Michael Maendle, Janesville
Devin Travis, Wrightwood
Steve Emerick, Paradise
•
•
•
That the next meeting of the CDF
Firefighters Executive Board will be
held March 24-26, 2014, at Sacramento
headquarters?
That the postmark deadline is May 31
for Richard J. Ernest Scholarship
applications? There will be seven $1000
awards given this year. Information and
application forms can be accessed on
our website at www.cdffirefighters.org
under the “Charities” tab or by calling
headquarters at 916-609-8700.
That the 44th Biennial CPF
Convention is scheduled for May 1316, 2014, at the Sheraton Universal
Hotel in Los Angeles?
•
That the IAFF is hosting its 52nd
Biennial Convention in Cincinnati July
14-18, 2014?
•
That the following is the schedule for this
year’s retired member get-togethers?
Amador-El Dorado - third Tuesday of
each month, breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at
Denny’s, Highways 49 and 88 in Jackson.
Contacts: Hoot Gibson (209) 223-2281, or
Sheridean Swift (209) 223-1310.
Butte – third Wednesday of each
month at 11:30 a.m., rotating between
Paradise, Chico and Oroville. Below is
the schedule for 2014:
March 19 – Oroville
April 16 – Paradise
May 21 – Chico
June 18 – Oroville
July 16 – Paradise
August 20 – Chico
September 17 – Oroville
October 15 – Paradise
November 19 – Chico
December 17 - Oroville
Meeting locations are the Cornucopia
Restaurant at 515 Montgomery Street in
Oroville, Kalico Kitchen, 2396 Esplanade,
Chico, and Cozy Diner at 6371 Skyway
in Paradise. All CDF retirees in Butte
County and the surrounding areas
are welcome to attend. For more
information, call 530-589-0764 or 530877-6464.
18 CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
Fresno-Kings - first Monday of each
month, 9 a.m. at the Brooks Ranch
Restaurant at Chestnut and Highway
99 in Fresno. Contacts: Don Olday (559)
787-2453, Jerry Barnard (559) 432-6499,
or Ken Karle (559) 834-2763.
San Diego - second Wednesday of
every third month (next meeting on April
9, 2014) at the Boll Weevil Restaurant,
2548 Main Street, Ramona, at 12 noon.
Contact: Mike Valley (619) 997-9366 or
Lennie Baker (760) 789-3438.
Humboldt-Del Norte - luncheon
meeting takes place the first
Wednesday of every month at 11:30
a.m. at the Bear River Casino. Take Exit
692 and proceed uphill on Singley Rd.
for a quarter mile. All retirees, as well
as former and active CDF employees,
are welcome to attend. Please contact
Brian Burger at 707-725-5563 or
at fireworn@suddenlink.net or Jim
Moranda at jbmoranda@suddenlink.net
if you plan on attending.
San Luis Obispo – second Wednesday
of each month at 9 a.m. The odd
months are held in the south county at
IHOP’s, 212 Madonna Road in San Luis
Obispo. The even months are held in
the north county at Carrow’s, 7300 El
Camino Real, Atascadero. Contact: Don
Salisbury (805) 544-0849.
Madera-Mariposa-Merced - third
Monday of each odd-numbered month,
lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Iron Kettle in
Oakhurst, and the third Wednesday of
even numbered months at 11:30 a.m. at
the Triangle Café in Mariposa. Contact:
Jim Turner (209) 966-3988.
Mendocino – first Monday of each
month at 9 a.m. rotating between Ukiah,
Fort Bragg and Willits. The schedule for
2014 is:
April 7 – Fort Bragg
May 5 – Ukiah
June 2 – Willits
July 7 – Fort Bragg
August 4 – Ukiah
September 1 – Willits
October 6 – Fort Bragg
November 3 – Ukiah
December 1 - Willits
Meeting locations are Henny Penny in
Ukiah at 697 South Orchard Avenue,
David’s Deli in Fort Bragg at 163
Boatyard Road and Lumberjacks in
Willits, 1740 South Main. Contact: Ken
Schleintz (707) 328-8083.
Nevada-Yuba-Placer - second
Thursday of each month, lunch at 11:30
a.m. at “Larry and Lena’s,” intersection
of Highway 49 and Alta Sierra Drive.
North Coast – the second Wednesday
of each even month at 11:30 a.m. at the
Legends Bennett Valley Golf Course
Restaurant, 3328 Yulupa Avenue in
Santa Rosa. Contact: Ron Matteoli (707)
527-8993 or bat1413@aol.com.
Riverside – the third Thursday of May
at 11:30 a.m. at the Sizzler in Perris on
Nuevo Road near Perris Blvd. in the
Stater Brothers Shopping Center.
San Benito-Monterey – the third
Thursday of each month at 9 a.m.
Contact: Steve Norris at (831) 663-3688
or swnorris@sbcglobal.net.
San Bernardino - second Saturday
of odd months, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at
DJ’s Coffee Shop, 265 East 40th Street,
San Bernardino. Contact: Jerry Glover
(909) 421-1135.
San Mateo-Santa Cruz – first Thursday
of every month at 12 noon at the Santa
Cruz Diner, 909 Ocean Street in Santa
Cruz. Contacts: Ken Thomas (831) 7240233 or Ken Gilbert (831) 426-0960.
Santa Clara – the first Wednesday of
each month at 11 a.m., at Station 55 on
5th Street between Monterey Street and
Eigleberry in Gilroy. Exceptions: March
meeting will be held in Los Banos and at
Jack’s ranch in August. Contact: Zack
Snyder at snyderzd@verizon.net.
Trinity and Redding Region Office first Thursday of each month at 7:30
a.m. at Country Waffles, 2300 Athens
Avenue, Redding. Contacts: Brian
Weatherford (530) 241-7141, or Ray
Stewart (530) 243-8511.
The Siskiyou Unit Retirees - the first
Wednesday of every month at 9 a.m.
for breakfast. Odd months at “Bob’s
Ranch House” in Etna and even months
at the “Black Bear” in Yreka. All are
welcome. For more information contact
Doug Kaufner at (530) 340-0667 or John
Berggreen at (530) 467-3519.
Sonoma-Lake-Napa – the second
Wednesday of every even-numbered
month at 11:30 a.m. in the Legends
Restaurant at the Bennett Valley Golf
Course in Santa Rosa. Contact: Ron
Matteoli – batt1413@aol.com.
Tehama-Glenn – second Tuesday of
each month, breakfast at 8 a.m. at the
Rolling Hills Casino Buffet in Corning.
Access is off of I-5 at Liberal Avenue
south of Corning. Contacts: Jim Ross
(530) 529-1630.
Tulare - first Tuesday of each month,
breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at Ryan’s
Restaurant in Visalia on Mooney
Boulevard north of Caldwell Avenue.
Contacts: Ken Kenoyer (559) 784-8846,
Bill Bruno (559) 733-7676 or Ed Bartlett
(559) 733-8655.
Tuolumne-Calaveras - second Tuesday
of the month, breakfast at 8:30 a.m.
at Rodz Grill, 730 South Main Street,
Angels Camp, CA. Contacts: Bob Yohr
(209) 588-2711, Bob Sutton (209) 5322991, Buddy DeMasters (209) 772-1476,
Debbie Nelson (209) 754-3831 or Carl
Nicolson (209) 772-2344.
SAVE THE DATE
SECOND ANNUAL
Cache Creek Casino Resort
Yocha Dehe Golf Course
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
Registration / Firehouse BBQ Kick-Off
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Shot Gun Tee Off
1:00 pm
Awards Reception
5:30 pm
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014
Thank You Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00 am
Benefiting the
Contact: Tom D’Agostino (916) 448-3444 / tomd@aaronread.com
Checks are payable to CDFF Benevolent Foundation • Federal Tax I.D. 20-5686356
CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
19
1731 J St. Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 609-8700
www.cdffirefighters.org
Affiliated with International Association of Fire Fighters and California Professional Firefighters
20 CDF NEWSLETTER | MARCH 2014
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