Fire-Rescue Unions: 5 Key Steps to Improve Your Negotiations

If your contracts are set to expire in 2025, now is the time you and your bargaining team should begin preparing for negotiations. Here are 5 key steps to improve your collective bargaining negotiations with your local government employer:

1. Ask legal counsel to review your contract language to identify potential weaknesses and recommend changes to the current language and possible new provisions.
2. Determine which fire-rescue departments you should use as comparable departments and gather the comparable data for these departments.
3. Survey your membership for ideas and input into this year’s bargaining proposals.
4. Collect and examine your local government’s financial information to determine its financial health and ability to fund the pay increases and other changes you will propose.
5. Begin drafting bargaining proposals.

As always, we are available to assist in your preparations for bargaining and/or with representing the Local in the bargaining itself.  If you would like to have us assist you in next year’s bargaining, please call our office and schedule time to discuss your needs so that we can explain the various options that are available.