While reports are still coming in about the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, Fire Fighters (IAFF) union sends us this update:

Boston Fire and EMS Detailed to Scene of Explosions at Boston Marathon.

Kevin Olguin, a 9-year-old boy with cancer in Louisville, Ky., wants one thing: to be a firefighter. Olguin's wish came true recently when members of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 345 made him an honorary firefighter for a day, complete with a uniform, induction ceremony, a proclamation from the mayor and a ride in the Louisville Fire Department's fire truck. 

On the evening of May 1, 2010, firefighters from Uniformed Fire Officers Association Local 854 in New York City got a call about a car fire in Times Square. Six minutes later, Lts. Mike Barvels and John Kazan arrived on the scene to find an SUV parked with one wheel on a curb, hazard lights blinking. The firefighters spotted a number of warning signs, most importantly the white, slow-moving smoke coming from the vehicle. They knew typical car fires involve dark, billowing smoke. Barvels and Kazan decided not to use their fire hose on the truck and instead called for experts to come investigate.

It was no charming third time for former New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien (R) as the state House of Representatives decisively defeated (212-141) a "right to work" for less bill sponsored by O’Brien who no longer holds the speaker’s post.  

New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie called today’s vote “a strong rebuttal of ex-Speaker O'Brien's attacks on the middle class.” O’Brien championed the anti-worker measure in the past two sessions only to see it die both times.

In New Orleans this Super Bowl week, there are plenty of fans sporting 49ers' red and gold caps and jerseys and Ravens' purple and black gear. But there also are thousands of union members—including many from unions in the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO (GNO)—who proudly display their union label and are making the game possible and the fan experience in the Crescent City run smoothly.

Public-sector workers in Charlotte, N.C., can now have their union dues deducted from their paychecks like other causes they support, with voluntary payroll deductions. Last week, the Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 to allow the checkoff. The North Carolina State AFL-CIO points out that denying workers dues checkoff is a favorite tactic for right-wing politicians to undermine labor unions' ability to organize.

It's incredibly hard for restaurant owners to take the day off, especially around the holidays. But Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 141 made that possible for the owner of the Mill Town Café in Green Bay, Wis., who needed time off to receive a bone marrow transplant the Friday before Christmas. 

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Harold Schaitberger issued this statement on the shooting in Webster, N.Y., that killed two firefighters:

UAW locals 531 and 2317 in Lafayette, Ind., served a piping hot Christmas meal on Dec. 19 to local people who live on a low income or don't have a home. The union members split the cost of the meal between the two locals.

See more photos on the United Way of Greater Lafayette's Facebook page. 

Thousands of Fire Fighters (IAFF) who were on the front lines in the response to Superstorm Sandy lost their own homes and personal lives while working hard to save the lives and homes of others. Many of them are now struggling and need direct financial assistance immediately. Despite the help they are receiving from family, friends and their fellow IAFF members, they need more help in starting their lives over.