Local 1696 is a chapter of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and Professional Firefighters of Utah (PFFU).  Together these organizations provide a unified voice for professional firefighters at the local, state, and national level. 

Local 1696 and Unified Fire Authority 

Local 1696 represents approximately 330 full time, career employees of Unified Fire Authority in Salt Lake County, Utah. As the unified voice of these employees, Local 1696 maintains representation on all of Unified Fire Authority’s committees including the Policy Committee, Health and Safety Committee, Engineer Committee, and others. Local 1696 has a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and 4 Trustees, who together make up the Executive Board (E*Board). These representatives are elected by the union body and serve 2 year terms. Each UFA station also has a station representative to help foster the free exchange of information and promote input on issues ranging from retirement benefits to safety equipment and staffing.

Local 1696 and The Families of Firefighters Association 

In 2010 an association was created to foster a sense of community and provide a social network for the families of union members. Membership in this association is available to all family members of Local 1696 members who are over the age of 21. The Families of Firefighters Association organizes and hosts events such as barbeques and family outings, and provides a network of support for family members as needed. 

Organized Labor in Utah 

Historically, unions were created as the only means laborers had to protect themselves from becoming a “cost of production”^[1] in the industrial workplace. Collective bargaining laws like the Wagner Act (1935) and the Taft-Hartley Act (1947), however, do not apply to government employees. The rights of public employees are outlined in the Constitution and certain state-specific legislation which has come to provide many of the same rights and privileges that employees of private industry enjoy.

 Title 34 of the Utah Code outlines the relationships between public employees and managers. In Utah public employees are guaranteed the right to organize into labor unions and to collectively bargain with managers, however: 

It is hereby declared to be the public policy of the state of Utah that the right of persons to work, whether in private employment or for the state, its counties, cities, school districts, or other political subdivisions, shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or nonmembership in any labor union, labor organization or any other type of association; and further, that the right to live includes the right to work. The exercise of the right to work must be protected and maintained free from undue restraints and coercion.  (Utah Code 34-34-2) 

While it is not required that you join a union, membership is an important step in ensuring that the conditions of your employment will be protected. Many voices are more powerful than one, and it is often difficult if not impossible for individuals to remain informed enough to understand the complexities of the dynamic, contemporary public administration. As the only recognized voice of Unified Fire Authority employees, Local 1696, along with the PFFU and the IAFF act as a watchdog for you while you go about your daily life. While it is true that you will reap the benefits of the union’s successes whether you pay union dues or not (known as “free-riding”), the fewer members of the organization the less powerful the organization becomes and the less likely that the interests of employees will be considered by administrators and lawmakers.

^[1] Patton, D. W., Witt, S. L., Lovrich, N. P., & Frederickson, P. J. (2002). Human Resource Management: The Public Service Perspective. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.