The object of our existence is to create an association that would advance the wages, benefits and conditions of their members. Polk County Professional Firefighters answer the call more than 30,000 times a year.
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We are Polk County's Firefighters.
Who represents Local 3531? Below is a list of people who hold office.
Union Officers
Ronald G. Wilson- President Station 19 “C”
Bo Bryan – Vice-President Station 7 “C”
Mark Weiss - Secretary Station 23 "A"
Gary Murphy Training Division- Treasurer
Executive Board Members
Mark Loput Station 7 “C”
Sherman Ashworth Sta. 7 “B”
David Lehmann Sta. 23 “A”
Peter Buchardt Sta. 23 “A”
Grievance Chairman
Chris BrantleyStation 24
“C” Shift
Chief Negotiator
Mark Loput Station 7 “C” Shift
Negotiation Team
Ronald G. Wilson Station 19 “C” Shift
Mark D. Loput Station 7 “C” Shift
Scott Huff Station 5 "C"
Gustavo R. Garcia Station 31 “C ”Shift
Brandy L. Duncan Inspector
Jeremiah Gilley Station 7 “C” Shift
Andrew Gagliano Station 7 “A” Shift
Travis M. Houston “ Alternate” Station 7 “C” Shift
Labor Management Committee
Ronnie Wilson “Chairman” Station 19 “C” Shift
Bob Jones Station 15 “A” Shift
Kevin Uhlig Station 23 “B” Shift
Chris Brantley Station 24 “C” Shift
Floyd Gier Station 30 “A” Shift
Safety Committee
Bobby Bohn “ Chairman” Station 22 “A” Shift
Terry Williams Station 24 “B” Shift
Pete Laube Station 5 “C” Shift
Why Join a Union?
America's 16.2 million union members represent a cross section of people—women and men of all ages, races and ethnic groups. They work in hospitals and nursing homes, auto assembly plants and on construction sites, trains, buses and airplanes. They are security guards, musicians, electricians, postal workers, janitors and more. Union membership is important to all of these people, helping them gain decent wages and working conditions and have a say in their jobs.
This collection of fast facts answers basic questions about unions—how many workers are members, what jobs they do and how much they are paid—and shows some of the advantages of union membership. Union membership helps raise workers' pay and narrow the income gap that disadvantages minorities and women. Union workers earn 32 percent more than nonunion workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their median weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary work were $659 in 1998, compared with $499 for their nonunion counterparts. It is hard to compare precisely the compensation of union and nonunion workers because individual workers differ by age, length of time on the job and other characteristics. By comparing the wages of workers within occupational categories, the union difference becomes clearer. Union membership brings one of the greatest pay differences in the protective services, where members earn $736 per week, compared with $450 for nonunion workers—a difference of 64 percent.