KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A legal dispute between the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 42 and the City of Kansas City, which began over three years ago, concluded on Aug. 27 when the Local and the City reached an agreement.
IAFF Local 42 sought legal action on June 8 against the City of Kansas City for what the union detailed as the City’s failure to meet previous arbitration award requirements as well as its placement of firefighter roles, including training positions and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), among others, outside of the Local’s bargaining unit and the City’s inability to reclassify them across 2023, respectively.
However, following a two-month legal process where the City was held in contempt of court, Local 42 and the City reached an agreement, which IAFF Local 42 President Dan Heizman stated in a press release, is in compliance with its arbitration requirement.
The original “Grievance #28-22” the union filed has now resulted in new staffing positions for IAFF Local 42, including five EMS captain roles and a wage revision for EMS captains who were previously undercompensated.
“We won at arbitration; we won in court,” IAFF Local 42 said in a social media post on Aug. 27. “The Union and the City agreed to terms today.”
IAFF Local 42 shared that the agreement reached between the Local and the City represented a significant breakthrough.
While IAFF Local 42’s grievance had become a binding arbitration in 2023, various court involvement and negotiations followed as the City had not implemented the 2023 arbitration award.
Heizman and Local 42 emphasized the impact Kansas City City Manager Mario Vasquez had on this process and ultimately, the negotiations, which culminated in this agreement.
“Local 42 credits Vasquez’s personal involvement and leadership with creating the opportunity for a resolution,” Heizman said in a press release. “His review occurred immediately before the scheduled Aug. 28 enforcement hearing and resulted in agreement on the principal substantive terms necessary to resolve the dispute.”
The Union additionally shared the importance it believes this decision will have not only for its members but for the organization’s future for collective bargaining.
“This resolution allows the City and Local 42 to move beyond years of arbitration, litigation and negotiations, while implementing the central relief Local 42 sought on behalf of its members,” Heizman said in a press release. “The agreement also reflects the importance of consistently enforcing the collective bargaining agreement and following the contractual grievance and arbitration process. The Union pursued the grievance through every available stage, obtained an arbitration award in its favor, sought judicial enforcement when necessary and continued negotiating throughout the process.”
On Labor Day, Sept. 7, Fourth District At-Large Councilman Crispin Rea announced he would soon introduce a Collective Bargaining Ordinance, which he shared the City believes will create a pathway for city workers — including IAFF Local 42 — and those looking to organize.
“Very soon I will be introducing an ordinance that enshrines the rights of collective bargaining for City workers, provides a process for those who want to organize and proves labor management relations,” Rea said in a social media post.
This ordinance’s release date remains unannounced at this time.
Julia Williams — a Kansas City native — is a reporter and digital producer for The Labor Beacon. A University of Missouri School of Journalism alumna, she previously served as the editor-in-chief of The Northeast News before joining The Labor Beacon staff.
Williams’s grandfather was a Claycomo Ford Motor Company retiree and avid UAW Local 249 supporter, allowing her to understand the union difference from a young age.
In her free time, Williams enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to see her friends and hanging out at home with her cat, Greta. She loves a good cup of coffee, seeing local, live music and shopping secondhand. With a passion for storytelling, she hopes to bring her knowledge of journalistic integrity to the Kansas City union community — giving union and labor workers a voice, while holding people in powerful positions accountable.
