Labor Leader of the Week: Mark Drygas of IAFF

Our Labor Leader of the Week is Mark Drygas, President of the Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association, which is affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters. This statewide association was formed four years ago with affiliates in Ketchikan, Juneau, Anchorage, North Pole and Fairbanks. There are nearly 500 members in the organization, and those members respond to 75% of all 911 calls in Alaska.

Drygas is one of 39 fire fighters in Fairbanks. “Early on I could see that we had to be more politically involved with the actions of our city council. I spent 10 years as a Business Agent for our union before we reorganized along the IAFF national union administration model with a strong president. Gradually I realized that we needed to have more of a voice in Juneau. I worked hard to get more involved with our national union and with the Alaska AFL-CIO. I realized we couldn’t do it alone and that Alaska's Professional Fire Fighters needed a united voice in state politics.”

Fire Fighters are stepping up their efforts, both in local and national politics. Recently, the Alaska Professional Fire Fighters endorsed Mark Begich for U.S. Senate, and the International Association of Fire Fighters endorsed Barack Obama for President.  Click below to see video of Drygas, describing in his own words why it is important to engage in the political process early and often:

Fire Fighters in Alaska are becoming more active in the Labor 2008 program. Some local union mail has already gone out, and Drygas encourages his members to talk to each other at the fire station, participate in labor walks or phone bank to other AFL-CIO union members. Anyone interested in volunteering should call Dawn Bowie at 344-0910.

This year the Fire Fighters were successful in their push for Fire Fighter Presumptive Disablity Legislation. This law provides that when a fire fighter contracts certain forms of cancer or heart and lung disease that it will be presumed that the disease was job related, allowing the affected employee to be covered by workers compensation and disability.  It is up to the employer to prove otherwise. Says Drygas, “Passage of this important legislation was a direct result of our increased political involvement.  We have to stay involved.  Every decision that affects our job is made by an elected official or someone appointed by an elected official.”

At the national level Fire Fighters are pushing for the passage of The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, which will grant all public safety employees the right to form unions and collectively bargain with their employer.

On the state level Fire Fighters are getting involved politically in order to close the PERS gap. “If you are an Alaskan public safety employee injured on the job in your 20 to 25th year of service, you are retired out of the system and do not receive healthcare until you are 60 years old. This doesn’t apply to someone injured on the job after 19 years or after 26 years. I think this was a mistake when Public Retirement Tier Two and Tier Three were drafted. If you are injured on the job health insurance for you and your family should start immediately.”

Mark Drygas comes from a proud union family. His wife, Kathy, is retired from Public Employees Local 71. His father is a retired union member.  His daughter Heidi is a labor lawyer in Anchorage.  His daughter, Holly, is also an attorney and lobbyist on regulatory issues in Oregon. Many Alaskans know Mark’s son Erik, who sustained a serious injury while playing college hockey rendering him quadriplegic.  Eric has move forward to become a very successful high school hockey coach and presently serves on the University of Alaska Board of Regents.

(Top Photo: Mark Drygas (right) with endorsed U.S. Senate Candidate Mark Begich at the Fairbanks Labor Day Picnic.  Bottom Photo: Mark Drygas with President of Fairbanks Local 1324 Dominic Lozano at the Fairbanks Labor Day Picnic.)