The Supreme Court of Wyoming has ruled that in a combination fire department, part-time and volunteer firefighters are entitled to vote on whether or not firefighters can form a union. The decision was handed down Friday, July 6, 2018.
The case involved two IAFF locals, Campbell County Firefighters IAFF Local 5058 and Jackson Hole Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 5067, who sought to collectively bargain with their respective municipalities. In both cases the municipalities refused to recognize the locals as the exclusive bargaining agent.
According to the municipalities, Wyoming’s collective bargaining law for firefighters requires all employees who receive some compensation for their services to be included in the vote to unionize. Because the locals only allowed full-time career personnel to vote, the municipalities refused to recognize the unions.