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| Firefighters For a Fair Contract |
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Dear Fairfield,
I am writing today to let you know that unfortunately, your firefighters had to file for binding arbitration with the Town’s administration. This is a serious step that we have not had to use in decades, and it occurred because our contract negotiations broke down.
We have been working without a contract since July 2021, yet we were optimistic that the administration’s negotiation team would take our need for a fair contract seriously. We quickly learned that was not going to be the case. The administration’s negotiation team, which is led by the Human Resources Director and augmented by an outside law firm, was dismissive, and refused to meaningfully bargain. While we took the time to counter all of their proposals, we were met with a simple “not interested” from the administration for ours.
The reason for this letter is not only to keep you informed of where we are in the process of solidifying a contract, but most importantly, I want to stress that during the process of arbitration our dedication to you — the citizens of Fairfield — will not change. You will not notice any difference in the level of service you have come to expect from us. The highly trained and motivated members of IAFF Local 1426 will continue to respond professionally when called, not only during major events such as hurricanes, blizzards, and pandemics, but also to the thousands of individual calls for help we respond to every year. Our members won’t stop being engaged in community activities, either. We will continue on with our many charitable activities and fundraising for causes important to all of us.
Without the members of IAFF Local 1426, there is no Fairfield Fire Department, and we need your support. All we are asking for is to be treated fairly and with respect.
Please stand with us and help by requesting that the administration treat us fairly.
Sincerely,
William Tuttle
President, International Association of Firefighters Local 1426
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