LRIS

04/29/2026

SHRM Recertification Providers are recognized as a “provider of choice” for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP credential holders working to maintain their credential. HR/HR-related educational offerings identified with the SHRM Recertification Provider badge let credential holders know the program is pre-app...

12/22/2025

After a hard-fought campaign by unions and public employees, Utah lawmakers repealed a law that would have stripped collective bargaining rights from teachers, firefighters, police, and other public servants.
This is a reminder that organizing matters — and that attacks on bargaining rights are not inevitable or irreversible.

Utah has repealed a collective bargaining ban that prevented labor unions serving teachers, firefighters, police and other public employees from negotiating on behalf of their workers

12/22/2025

City Hall is touting academy numbers, but union leaders are focused on what really matters: attrition.
Officers are still leaving faster than departments can realistically replace experience, training, and judgment.
Recruitment without retention isn’t a staffing plan — it’s a revolving door, and public safety pays the price.

The NYPD swore in 1,000 new recruits on Wednesday, bolstering its ranks after a year of heavy attrition rate — but the city's biggest police union says the

11/28/2025

“Are they going to be the best people, or just somebody to fill a spot?” That’s the question out of Fall River — and it captures a core challenge in today’s recruiting crisis. When vacancies pile up, the pressure to hire fast can collide with the need to maintain standards. It’s a real risk for any police or fire department. Here’s hoping Fall River gets this right.

The Fall River Fire Department is trying to bring in more firefighters.

11/26/2025

“Overtime” versus “over-hire.” Oak Park, Illinois is trying something different: redirecting overtime dollars into six additional full-time firefighters for FY2026. It’s a smart experiment aimed at improving response times and reducing fatigue — and one worth watching for other departments wrestling with the same pressures.

The Oak Park Village Board voiced support for an ordinance authorizing salaries and benefits for six new Oak Park firefighters

11/24/2025

We tend to get suspicious when employers float staffing cuts right as bargaining begins — and that’s exactly what’s happening in Aurora, Illinois. Hard to see how a 10% reduction squares with the constant push to reduce overtime, shorten shifts, and address fatigue and PTSI in today’s fire service.

The union believes it will impact services and put residents’ safety at risk. The mayor responded to those claims saying they're not true.

11/17/2025

That’s wild. East St. Louis has been ordered to pay $2.1 M in back-pay, interest and legal fees to its police force — and the city’s still trying to dodge the interest.
Public-safety unions: take note — remedies are only as good as the follow-through.

“It has been nearly a decade since we sued them for our money, and we are still fighting to get our money, even with a court order,” a former officer said.

11/16/2025

Wow. A year on the bench is far too long.
Imagine the damage to these officers’ reputations even after they’re cleared.
Being the boss means making tough decisions — not avoiding them.
Kudos to West Palm FOP for holding the commissioners’ feet to the fire. Time to make a decision and move on.

FOP president says a retired sergeant in the mayor’s office started the probe that’s kept four captains off duty for more than a year

11/14/2025

Orange County firefighters are at impasse after nearly three years of negotiations — still fighting to close a $10–15k pay gap with neighboring departments. Same old story – employer wants to improve starting pay only, while the union’s focus is on everyone.
Stories like this will be front and center at LRIS’s 2026 Collective Bargaining seminar in Nashville from April 15-17 (www.lris/seminars.com). We’ll talk about how unions and managers can turn data and persistence into fair contracts.

Orange County firefighters and county officials are at an impasse over a new contract, with negotiations heading to a Special Magistrate after breaking down.

11/12/2025

Imagine waiting 20 minutes for an ambulance. In Normal.
Nothing about that is normal — and it’s exactly why fire and EMS staffing can’t be treated like an optional expense. Kudos to the union and legislators pushing for the statewide study to get real answers — and real solutions.

(The Center Square) – A planned relocation of Normal’s Fire Station 2 sparks statewide concern over slow emergency response times, as a new bill at the statehouse would create a task force to investigate staffing and funding problems in Illinois’ EMS system. Local 2442 Union President Chad Pac...