Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buckley approves first collective bargaining agreement for career firefighters with IAFF Local 3520
Summary
City council approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with IAFF Local 3520 that establishes representation for career firefighters and ties 2026 wage increases to the CPI-U with a 2–4% range.
The Buckley City Council approved a collective bargaining agreement between the City of Buckley and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 3520 covering 2025–2026, marking the first formal labor contract for the city’s career firefighters.
Union representatives described the agreement as the product of a collaborative negotiation process. Jasper Sundstrom, IAFF district service representative, called the process “a model of collaboration” and said the agreement provides a foundation for continued labor-management cooperation. Taylor Hobie, president of IAFF Local 3520, echoed that account and said the contract benefited the four career firefighters joining IAFF representation.
The contract includes a wage provision that ties the January 1, 2026 monthly base salary adjustment to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for June 2024–June 2025, with a guaranteed minimum increase of 2% and a maximum of 4%. Council members asked for clarification that the language referred to CPI-U (not a flat 100% figure) and that cost-of-living adjustments for this first contract are one-year adjustments to align the next negotiation with the city’s biennial budget process.
Council approved the agreement by voice vote after a second; the motion carried. City staff and union leadership said the agreement will give Buckley firefighters access to IAFF resources, training and advocacy while establishing formal labor representation for the department.
