Please take the time to review the May 2017 PFFPNC video legislative update for the latest news that impacts you out of the North Carolina General Assembly.
PFFPNC Legislative Update | May 2017 from New Frame Videos on Vimeo.
Please take the time to watch this video from PFFPNC President Tom Brewer and Political Director Josh Smith on the latest from Raleigh and other happenings with PFFPNC.
PFFPNC Video Update April 2017 from New Frame Videos on Vimeo.
PFFPNC is proud to announce an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The excellent rating will help us with our concert fundraising efforts. Please feel free to share this news with anyone interested in supporting our many community outreach efforts. To read the complete review click the link below.
It’s been a great year for the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina. Please take a moment to watch this video for a look back on some of this year’s accomplishments. We look forward to serving you in 2017.
Day 2 of the 2016 Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina Convention was full of inspiring speeches and helpful advice.
The morning started with IAFF President Harold Schaitberger addressing the crowd. He recognized the state and members for all their hard work fighting grievances, manning the polling places and its cancer legislation efforts.
“All of you Locals fighting – I recognize it, and we’ve got your back,” Schaitberger said. “Your work is recognized around this international, and we are going to do whatever we can to support you.”
Schaitberger went on to say that the IAFF is going to make financial efforts to improve membership in North Carolina. The international is going to do whatever it can, Schaitberger said, to build affiliates through organizing strategies and campaigns. Schaitberger told the crowd that he hopes the IAFF’s financial help and support can increase membership by up to 5,000 members.
Schaitberger wrapped up his speech by talking about the political victories across the country this election season, including the election of Roy Cooper.
You can watch Schaitberger’s full speech on our Facebook page.
Cooper addressed the crowd next, thanking PFFPNC members for their support of him during the campaign. He said he looks forward to continuing working with the association to invest in fire fighters and paramedics. Cooper said he wants to work with both parties to “invest in our people.”
“It’s time for all us – Republican, Democratic, unaffiliated to roll up our sleeves and work together,” Cooper said. “I am grateful to all of you who serve the public, and I’m proud to be your next governor.”
The day continued with a presentation from the IAFF Financial Corp and Membership Engagement and Political Action training led by Greensboro’s Dave Coker and Michael Glynn of Fort Worth, Texas.
The training covered topics on communication, social media, membership involvement, political action plans, PACs and SMART goals. They encouraged knowing your union’s message and putting your message out there repeatedly through various ways of communication including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email campaigns, video messaging.
They also said to take responsibility for what you put out there. Don’t spread gossip or rumors and be cautious of what you posting.
The training also included membership involvement. Dave Coker encouraged you to try to understand why people don’t get involved and be prepared to challenge the negatives.
The training continued with a discussion on political action and PAC funds. Mike Glynn told members to develop relationships with your elected officials and start a PAC fund if you don’t have one already.
The educational training concluded with a talk on SMART Action Plans. A SMART plan should be specific, measureable, assignable, realistic and time-based. Creating a plan helps you prioritize and execute goals your Local sets, said Coker.
Convention will continue at 9 a.m. Wednesday when a new District 4 VP will be named and the final resolutions will be discussed.
The 2016 Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Convention kicked off shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28. The day’s speakers include PFFPNC President Tom Brewer, Secretary/Treasurer Josh Smith, IAFF General Secretary/Treasurer Ed Kelly, Rep. Nelson Dollar Staff Member Logan Martin, New Frame’s Brian Lewis and Travis Payne of Edelstein and Payne Attorneys.
Ed Kelly, who was recently elected as IAFF General Secretary/Treasurer discussed some items the IAFF is working on including exploring ways to grow the disaster relief fun and working on dues deduction. He encouraged the crowd to focus their energy on organizing and growing membership by showing them what all IAFF does for its members.
Brian Lewis discussed recent politic actions and said “we want to work with whoever works for us.” He stressed that PFFPNC is working with both parties in the state to continue fighting for rights of fire fighters and paramedics. This year, they hope to get three more cancers added to the house bill.
The day also included district caucuses, resolutions and office nominations. Tom Brewer will continue to serve as president. Josh Smith will continue to serve as secretary-treasurer. Scott Mullins, David Pollard and Keith Wilder will serve as District Vice Presidents for 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Jerry Wiggins will continue to serve as trustee. There will be an election in District 4 between Brad Ray and Ryan Merrill for vice president.
Four resolutions were discussed today.
The day adjourned around 2 p.m. and will continue Tuesday at 9 a.m.
WINSTON-SALEM — It was a step in the right direction today for a former Kernersville Fire Fighter, the Kernersville Professional Fire Fighters Association and the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina as a Forsyth County Superior Court judge ordered the town manager and town of Kernersville to provide Bray with his full, unredacted personnel records and documents, as required by the state laws that apply to municipal employees. This includes more than 40 pages of notes from 17 interviews that formed the basis of the decision to discharge Bray. Those documents had been provided to him with approximately ninety percent of the words blocked out.
The ruling came at about 4 p.m. Monday after Bray, represented by PFFPNC attorney Travis Payne of Edelstein Payne & Lucas out of Raleigh, and the town manager and town of Kernersville presented their cases earlier in the morning.
In addition to ordering the town manager to provided Bray with his complete personnel file, the judge directed the town manager to hold a new grievance hearing, after Bray has been provided with all of his documents and records and has had an opportunity to use them in preparing his response to the discharge.
Bray and the Kernersville Professional Fire Fighters Association filed a lawsuit on Bray’s behalf regarding the town of Kernersville’s violation of North Carolina General Statute 160A-168. Under that statue, an employee is entitled to receive all of their personnel files and documents from municipalities upon request. When an employee has been disciplined, as was the case with Bray, the employee is entitled under that statute to the entire investigative file relied upon to justify the discipline, as well as drafts of the disciplinary documents and communications among municipal officials concerning the investigation and the decision to impose discipline.
Following his discharge from the Kernersville Fire Department and before his grievance hearing, Bray made a written request for all his personnel documents, records and investigation files. The town manager, in return, only provided Bray with copies from the investigation file that had large portions of the information redacted or blacked out. Also, the town manager did not provide Bray with any of the drafts of disciplinary documents or the communications among town officials. The town manager’s actions are a clear violation of North Carolina law. Because Bray was never given all of his personnel documents, he was deprived of a fair opportunity to present his case in the grievance procedure.
The PFFPNC, on behalf of Bray and the Kernersville association, are pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to Bray finally getting a fair opportunity to review his personnel file and investigation documents so he can accurately and fairly present his case before a grievance hearing. There’s been no word from the town of Kernersville on a date for Bray’s grievance hearing.
KERNERSVILLE — Former Kernersville Fire Fighter Kevin Bray will get his day in court on Monday, May 16, to present his case regarding a violation of his right to receive and review all of his personnel files and documents that was denied to him by the Kernersville Town Manager.
Bray and the Kernersville Professional Fire Fighters Association filed a lawsuit on Bray’s behalf regarding the town of Kernersville’s violation of North Carolina General Statute 160A-168(c1). Under that statue, an employee is entitled to receive all of their personnel files and documents from municipalities upon request. When an employee has been disciplined, as was the case with Bray, the employee is entitled under that statute to the entire investigative file relied upon to justify the discipline, as well as drafts of the disciplinary documents and communications among municipal officials concerning the investigation and the decision to impose discipline.
Following his discharge from the Kernersville Fire Department, Bray made a written request for all his personnel documents, records and investigation files. The town manager, in return, only provided Bray with copies from the investigation file that had large portions of the information redacted or blacked out. Also, the town manager did not provide Bray with any of the drafts of disciplinary documents or the communications among town officials. The town manager’s actions are a clear violation of North Carolina law.
Because Bray was never given all of his personnel documents, he was deprived of a fair opportunity to present his case in the grievance procedure. Now, Bray is asking the Superior Court, not only to order the Manager to produce his complete and unredacted personnel documents, but also to direct that after he receives all of those documents, to have another grievance hearing where he can make use of the information in those documents. He will be represented by Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association Attorney Travis Payne of Edelstein Payne & Lucas out of Raleigh.
We invite all media outlets to attend this court hearing scheduled for the morning of Monday, May 16, in courtroom 6-A of the Forsyth County Courthouse. The session begins at 10 a.m., with Bray’s case expected later in the morning after shorter cases are handled.