To those of you who have already called to book an appointment, thank you for your interest and support of this important program.  For those of you who have not yet booked your appointment, we urge you to take IMMEDIATE ACTION as the deadline is quickly approaching.  If you are not registered by the end of May, there is no guarantee that there will be another opportunity.  So far, over 600 members have called to request an appointment and approximately 200 individuals have completed the assessment.  Our goal is for EVERYONE to take advantage of these health assessments.  We need members to call ASAP so that Swedish can provide the necessary doctors and technicians based on the number of appointments scheduled.Due to the number of requests already received for appointments, we anticipate appointments will be extending through the summer, but it is important to note that appointments MUST BE REQUESTED NOW.  The department is issuing a memo that will reiterate the required information about making an appointment.  The information can also be found at http://iaff27.org/content/view/274/67/ .

• If you have not called or emailed Kat concerning your request to have a Health Assessment, you need to do so ASAP.  You may contact her at:  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it    or (206) 781-6375
• If you have called and have not received a call back and/or have concerns about being on the list, you can e-mail a message to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   and request confirmation that your name is on the list. Confirmations will be returned Tuesday-Thursday once a confirmation is made.  
• If you have already completed the exam, a follow up survey will be sent out by the end of the month.   We need you to respond; your feedback is valuable to help future efforts and to continue this type of program. 

Supermajority of Senators Vote to Consider Cooperation Act

May 13, 2008 - In a remarkable show of bipartisan support for the IAFF and its members, 69 senators voted May 13 to consider H.R. 980, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. The 69-29 vote on the motion to proceed permits the Senate to debate and amend the bill.

"Today, Senators from both parties stood up in support of America's fire fighters, and stood up in support of our right to collectively bargain," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "This vote is truly a testament to the strength of our union and the respect its members garner on Capitol Hill."

Eighteen Republicans joined all 51 Democrats to vote in favor of the IAFF motion, marking the beginning of a week-long debate on the bill.

"Although we won this first vote handily, this is only the first of many steps we must take before the Cooperation Act passes the Senate," says Schaitberger. "Our anti-labor opponents will not rest, and neither can we. It is paramount that every member continue to lobby their senators to pass the Cooperation Act."

Contract Survey Raffle Winners have been announced.  Please click the "read more" link to see the listing of winners!  If you are a winner please come by Local 27 to claim your prize.