The core political principle of this union is we support those who support us. If you make promises to us, we will hold you accountable.

We held President Bush accountable when he made decisions that had a negative impact on our members' jobs and lives. We will do the same with this president and any future president.

Throughout the debate on health care reform, even before the proposed excise tax on so-called high cost health plans was proposed, our union has made it clear to Congress and President Obama that our goal is reducing health care costs while preserving the benefits our members already have without piling more taxes on the backs of hardworking Americans.

In 2008, then-candidate Obama promised three things. First, he would not raise taxes on folks making less than $250,000 a year. Second, he vowed not to tax your health insurance benefits. Third, he promised that under his health reform plan that people would be able to keep their existing coverage.

Now the administration is supporting a misguided excise tax on the premiums of some health plans that is in the bill passed by the Senate. This excise tax will affect many of the health plans covering our members. The Senate bill will either impose a tax on health care premiums provided to thousands of America's fire fighters, or to avoid the tax those benefits will be slashed.

I want to make sure every leader and member in this union knows the truth, which is that under this bill every special interest seemed to get something good – the insurance companies, the doctors, the drug companies all get something.

But, in the Senate bill, many of our members who have sacrificed for years to build solid health plans to protect their families will get screwed.

The deal isn't done, yet. The health care reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives does not contain this unacceptable tax and the leadership in the House, to date, is standing strong with us -- with 190 members of the Democratic Caucus signing a letter opposing the excise tax.

We applaud our House allies for their courage in waging this battle. And your union is continuing to fight to keep the excise tax out of the final bill.

We have made it clear to every senator and representative on Capitol Hill and to the president that we are fully and completely opposed to this tax and we will not compromise on it.

Rest assured that we are prepared to hold every elected official accountable on this issue, including the president.

I will update you again soon on the progress of this bill. 

In Solidarity,

Harold A. Schaitberger
General President

In memory of our fallen Brother Fire Control Worker and Local 1364 member Bryan Banister

Brother Banister was killed when his vehicle became disabled while traveling on I-5 to San Francisco. Bryan and his vehicle were struck by another vehicle that left the road for unknown reasons. Also killed was Rigoberto Gomez Cortez, a good Samaritan that came to Bryan's aid. Representatives from Local 1364 and VCFD attended Mr. Cortez funeral and provide assistance to his family. Like our brother Bryan, The man that lost his life coming to his aid will not be forgotten.

IAFF Position on Health Care Reform

September 10, 2009 - On Wednesday, September 8, 2009, in a speech before bothhouses of Congress that was broadcast to the entire country, President BarackObama spoke eloquently about the need for health care reform in the UnitedStates.

As health care insurance costs continue to rise at an incredible pace, and theburden of those rising costs continues to shift to our members' wallets, theIAFF, as your union, believes in and is fighting for health care reforms on yourbehalf, including assuring that all of our retirees retain coverage until theyare Medicare-eligible.

This union's over-riding principle in fighting for reforms is simple and clear:Do no harm to our members. That means we're working to protect the benefit plansour members have and reduce the costs both to our members and their employers.

Here is the message the IAFF continues to press hard as we lobby Congressconcerning the debate over health care reform:

• The IAFF strongly opposes a tax on employee health insurance benefitsAND we oppose an excise tax on insurance companies because those excisetaxes are likely to be passed on to our members.
  
  
• The IAFF is against a single payer system and we are against agovernment-run health care system.
  
  
• The IAFF supports reform that will contain the cost of care that hasspiraled out of control, including provisions that would allow more competition,helping lower prices.
  
  
• The IAFF strongly supports reforms that will fix the broken policies ofmany health insurance companies, including:
  
  
  • Forcing insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.
    
    
  • Eliminating caps on benefits or coverage for certain treatments while a patientis receiving care.
  
  
• The IAFF supports reasonable limits on malpractice suits, or tortreform. That means we support allowing doctors to care for patientswithout the threat of unreasonable lawsuits, while at the same time givingvictims the ability to seek reasonable compensation for gross negligence by amedical provider.
  

Your union will keep pressing our case in Congress and will be at the AFL-CIOConvention September 13-17 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, strongly conveying thesepositions during the debate on issues related to health care reform.

Firefighters from Local 1364 are traveling to the site of the Jesusita burn over to learn the lessons of their fellow firefighters trapped in the near fatal incident. Two of the three Firefighters injured in the incident have returned to work with only Firefighter Robert Lopez remaining off duty while recovering from second and third degree burns.

5/19/09 Update: All 3 members have now been released from the burn center and are recovering at home. With physical therapy all are expected to eventually return to full duty.

On May 6th Three VCPFA members were injured in an entrapment/burn over that courred while fighting the Jesusita fire in Santa Barbara. Captain Ron Topolinski, Captain Brian Bulger, and Firefighter Robert Lopez were treated by their fellow firefighters at the scene before being transported to Cottage hospital and then the Grossman burn center.

28 year veteran Ron Topolinski suffered approx 10% 2nd degree burns to his arms, hands, and face. 30 year veteran Brian Bulger suffered smoke inhalation, and 10 year veteran Robert Lopez suffered approx 15% 2nd and 3d degree burns to his shoulders, back, face and ears. He also suffered lacerations to the face.

Local 1364 members continue to provide support as needed for our members and families during their recovery.

Cards and well wishes can be sent to the VCPFA office. PO Box 385 Camarillo, CA 93011