IAFF Local 1762
for President Local 1762
I am asking for your support for another term as President of IAFF Local 1762.
When I became President in November 2024, I believed our Local needed strong, experienced leadership, clearer accountability, and a Union prepared to address difficult issues rather than simply react to them. Those principles have guided my first term and will continue to guide me if reelected.
Be prepared
Communicate directly
Make informed decisions
Protect the long-term interests of our members and this Local
Over the past two years
01
We reorganized our Union leadership to create clearer responsibilities and direct representation for every bargaining unit. The purpose was not simply to make the Executive Board smaller, but to create greater accountability and a structure that better represents our membership.
02
We changed to new Union legal counsel under a flat-rate model that provides significantly greater access to experienced labor attorneys while reducing our legal expenses by approximately $6,500 per month.
03
Most importantly, I have worked to provide strong, experienced representation in collective bargaining, grievances, discipline, contract enforcement, and the many labor issues that affect our members every day.
The next step is building on that structure by improving communication, increasing member involvement, and developing future Union leaders.
Experience, preparation, judgment
My experience in these areas has proven extremely valuable as President. Union leadership regularly requires decisions involving complicated contracts, labor law, past practice, negotiations, and workplace issues where the consequences can affect individual members or the entire Local. This is not a position where you want to learn the job on the fly. Experience, preparation, judgment, and knowing when to negotiate and when to take a firm position matter.
This is not a position where you want to
learn the job on the fly.
That experience will be especially important during the next two years.
A strong voice
We have significant bargaining ahead of us, continued budget and staffing challenges, and the potential formation of a Regional Fire Authority that could fundamentally change the governance and funding of Eastside Fire & Rescue.
Local 1762 needs to be actively involved in those decisions. During my first term, I have worked to strengthen our relationships with elected officials, the WSCFF, other IAFF Locals, and our community partners. I will continue making sure our members have a strong voice before decisions affecting our future are made.
The next term
Continue successful collective bargaining and strong contract enforcement.
Improve communication and member engagement by building on the representative structure we have put in place.
Develop the next generation of Local 1762 leaders and create more opportunities for members to become involved.
Continue advocating for sustainable staffing, funding, and the long-term future of EF&R.
Remain accessible and accountable to the membership.
Listen. Learn. Adjust.
I am proud of what we have accomplished, but I also know there is more work to do.
I also recognize that I have not gotten every decision right. I have made mistakes, and there are things I would approach differently with the benefit of experience. What I can say with confidence is that every decision I have made as President has been made with what I believed was the best interest of our members and Local 1762 in mind. I am willing to listen, learn, adjust when necessary, and take responsibility for the decisions I make.
Strong leadership does not mean every decision will be easy or universally popular. It means listening, doing the work, understanding the consequences, making informed decisions, and being willing to stand behind them.
That is the kind of President I have worked to be, and that is the kind of President I will continue to be.
Over the coming weeks
Over the coming weeks, I will be getting out to stations and holding informal coffee and breakfast opportunities across shifts and battalions. I want to hear what you think we are doing well, where we can improve, and what you want from your Union over the next two years.
Another term as President
It has been an honor to serve as your President.
Fraternally,
Ray Austin
President
IAFF Local 1762
Don’t forget to see Ray’s resume before you vote.
View Ray’s Resume