Organizing Part Time Firefighters

[JaySNJFF]

Hi all-
I am in combo department which in addition to volunteer and paid the department also has two classes of paid firefighter, fulltime and partime. Fulltime are represented by Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) while parttime are not represented whatsoever.
Anyone familiar with any union that will help the parttime FF orgainze? I have checked with IAFF and according to their representative, since we are parttime, it goes against their charter so parttimers cannot be IAFF members, but an IAFF local can "adopt" the parttimers, take dues and represent the parttimers, but the parttimers will not be IAFF members.
There is an Teamsters union in town that represents the police dispatchers, but I would rather be in a union that has firefighter background.
Anyone familiar with any union that will help the parttime FF orgainze?

[GrovFire25]

I'm not sure what state you're from, and it may be the same in all states, each department can only have 1 collective bargaining unit.
If the career guys are represented by the IA, then the part-timers are SOOL.
If I were in that situation I'd work to get the partimers positions moved to full time.

[BCmdepas3280]

I don't know of any other unions that represent part timers, but I think that the IAFF is missing the boat on not representing part time firefighters. They have some of the same interests that a fulltimers has; health and saftey, pay issues, working conditions.... and I believe that this would also benefit the fulltime force by setting part timer ground rules. We could also place our heads in the sand and pretend that its not an issue...... Just a random thought...

[DAVESGMC2001]

In Massachusetts Call Firefighters can be represented by an organization even if the CAreeer Firefighters are IAFF or whatever. Many Call Departments have CBA as an association with the municipality that they work in, some are affiliated with other labor organizations. It's all up the local community and the firefighters.