For firefighters, trust matters more than almost anything. When we run into burning buildings, we put our safety and our lives on the line. We need to trust those who say they鈥檒l back us up. Unfortunately, Colorado鈥檚 statewide聽firefighters鈥櫬爑nion聽has lost Denver聽firefighters鈥� trust.
As the president and secretary-treasurer of Denver聽Fire聽Fighters, IAFF Local 858, we lead the local聽union聽representing more than 1,000 city聽firefighters聽and EMS personnel. About two years ago, with the support of our members, Local 858鈥檚 executive board ended our local聽union鈥檚 payments to the state聽union, Colorado Professional聽Fire聽Fighters (CPFF), along with its affiliation with that聽union.
But state聽union聽officials have refused to acknowledge that we are no longer affiliated with them. And this spring, the state聽union聽raised the stakes by sending Denver聽firefighters聽a massive bill for roughly $400,000 in dues we don鈥檛 believe we owe.
That抖阴ap why, this week, we took the state union to court. We want to affirm Local 858鈥檚 separation from the state union and establish that we don鈥檛 have to pay a union we don鈥檛 belong to. The truth is, leaving the state聽union聽wasn鈥檛 an easy decision. Local 858 was one of its founding members. So how did we get to a point where one聽union聽is suing the other?
Denver firefighters union sues state union over attempt to leave
For decades, Local 858 regularly sent a portion of聽firefighters鈥� dues to the state聽union聽in support of its聽mission聽鈥渢o protect and advance the rights, interests, and well-being of our members.鈥� As by far the largest of the 67聽firefighter聽locals affiliated with CPFF, we were paying the state聽union聽nearly $250,000 in annual dues.
That抖阴ap a lot of money. And we realized we weren鈥檛 getting much in return. We came to believe Denver聽firefighters鈥� dues, not our 鈥渞ights, interests, and well-being,鈥� were the state聽union鈥檚 real priority.
For example, if delegate votes in the state聽union聽reflected membership, Local 858 would have about 20 votes. Instead, the state聽union聽caps every local at 12 delegates. We were paying dues as the biggest local in Colorado without being heard as the biggest local in Colorado.
That felt like taxation without representation.
Our members also had questions about the state聽union鈥檚 credit card charges, expensive dinners, and other spending that did not look like it had anything to do with serving Denver聽firefighters. Yet for too long, we felt the state聽union鈥檚 officials obscured much of its finances and made it difficult for members to find out where our money was going.
With our members鈥� concerns becoming harder to ignore, Local 858鈥檚 executive board voted in late 2024 to suspend dues payments to the state union. Nearly 60% percent of participating members later confirmed our decision in a vote about disaffiliation.
To complicate matters, a third聽union聽is involved. Local 858 left the state聽union聽but remains affiliated with the International聽Association聽of聽Fire聽Fighters, the聽union聽that represents聽firefighters聽across North America.
International聽union聽officials sided with the state聽union聽and claimed we had not followed the proper process to disaffiliate. We disagreed but held another vote this past spring to reaffirm our decision, hoping it would satisfy them.
This time, 70 percent of participating members voted to leave the state聽union. As elected officers, we took oaths to abide by the majority--in this case an overwhelming majority.
But that still wasn鈥檛 good enough for the state and international聽unions.
Local 858 has jumped through their hoops even after making our decision clear, but they insist that we remain bound to the state聽union. And in May, the state聽union聽sent us a nearly $400,000 bill for more than a year and a half of dues we don鈥檛 believe we should have to pay.
Left with no alternative, Local 858 engaged the services of the nonprofit law firm the Fairness Center and sued the state and international unions in state court.
As Local 858鈥檚 leaders, we believe that this comes down to something deeply personal.
This is our members鈥� hard-earned money--money earned during long nights away from home, holidays missed with their families, and dangerous calls from which there is never a guarantee they will return unharmed. They have sacrificed for every dollar, and they have earned the right to decide, through their autonomous democratic vote as members of Local 858, where that money goes and who speaks on their behalf.
Chris Ferguson and Devin Hallock are聽firefighters聽with the Denver聽Fire聽Department. Ferguson is the president of Local 858, and Hallock is secretary-treasurer.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
