Int’l Association of Fire Fighters adopts resolution to include CNMI in constitution
The International Association of Fire Fighters adopted last week a resolution to amend its constitution and bylaws to include the CNMI in District 10 and Trustee Region 3 officially recognizing the CNMI’s Northern Marianas Professional Firefighters Union as part of the IAFF.
Last Aug. 28, IAFF delegates adopted nearly 40 resolutions during the opening day of its 57th Convention in Boston, Massachusetts
One of the resolutions adopted was to amend its constitution and bylaws to include the CNMI in District 10 and Trustee Region 3 officially recognizing the CNMI’s Northern Marianas Professional Firefighters Union as part of the IAFF.
In a statement from the Commonwealth Ports Authority Airport Rescue and Firefighting members under the Northern Marianas Professional Firefighters Union International Association of Fire Fighters-Local 5335, they’d like to thank the IAFF for formally including the CNMI in its Constitution and By-Laws.
The group expressed that this resolution will lead to the establishment of collective bargaining agreement for CPA-ARFF.
“A CBA will ultimately materialize a very professional, well disciplined, highly qualified, and fully equipped firefighting workforce that’ll provide for a safe and healthy working environment that leads to a better quality of life for its employees,” said the group.
The group thanked CPA executive director Leo B. Tudela for showing “great character, true leadership, and utmost professionalism at the highest level” by officially agreeing to mutually meet with NMPFU this month to discuss a CBA.
The group would also like to thank CPA-ARFF Fire chief Fred A. Pangelinan for supporting members and their cause to discuss a wide range of critical and important areas that pertains to and affects labor and employee relations issues involving firefighters who are collective bargaining unit members who will be covered under this agreement.
“This is truly a huge step in the right direction. It’s been at least three years since the NMPFU IAFF-Local 5335 have been established since April 2021. The global COVID-19 pandemic had slowed down progress toward the goal of establishing CBAs between DFEMS and CPA-ARFF and in September 2023 NMPFU made great strides in communicating with both agencies to initiate the CBA process. CPA-ARFF has shown its willingness to commit for the overall betterment of its employees while DFEMS refuses to act,” said the group.
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