Denver Firefighters’ Union Declares Independence from Statewide Union

Case Summary

• Denver Fire Fighters Local 858 cut ties with Colorado’s statewide firefighters’ union because local members believe paying dues to the state union wasn’t worth the money.
• But the statewide union, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters (CPFF), ignored the local union’s wishes and demanded $400,000 in dues that the local union says it doesn’t owe, according to court filings.
• Local 858 is asking the court to find that it doesn’t owe any unpaid dues to CPFF and that it has validly separated from that union.

Local 858 Believes State Union No Longer Serves Them

Denver Fire Fighters Local 858 is Colorado’s largest local firefighters’ union by far and was a founding member of the statewide union, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters (CPFF).

But as Local 858 grew, its leadership heard from members who had come to believe the statewide union limited their voices while heavily relying on their dues.

Local 858’s elected leaders, both longtime Denver firefighters, also raised concerns about the state union’s spending practices, governance structure, and financial transparency.

Local 858 Members Cut Ties with Colorado Professional Fire Fighters

Local 858’s members concluded that the state union wasn’t providing enough value (if any) to justify sending it nearly $250,000 per year in dues. So with members’ support, the local’s executive board voted to stop dues payments and, soon after, to disaffiliate from the state union.

Likewise, Local 858’s membership later confirmed their disaffiliation from the state union in multiple votes, with support growing to 70 percent of the most recent vote.

State Union Dismisses Local 858’s Votes, Demands $400K in Dues

But the statewide union, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, has refused to accept that Local 858 has cut ties with it. It demanded Local 858 keep paying dues, even while cutting the local’s members off from its communications, according to court filings. And the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), with which both CPFF and Local 858 are affiliated, also refuses to recognize the local’s disaffiliation from the state union.

In May 2026, more than a year after Local 858 left CPFF, state union officials sent Local 858 a bill for roughly $400,000 for dues it claims the local union owes.

“Local 858’s executive board and members voted democratically to stop paying the dues and end our affiliation with the state union,” said Local 858 president Chris Ferguson, and 15-year Denver firefighter. “To me, that should have settled it. But state and international union officials refuse to accept our decision and want to keep control of our money. As Local 858’s president, my job is to stand up for our members—and that is exactly what I will do, even if it means taking the state and international unions to court.”

Local 858 Files Lawsuit Against CPFF and IAFF

Local 858 made many attempts to resolve this matter with CPFF and the IAFF before taking their dispute to the courts. In August 2026, the local sued the state and international unions in Denver District Court, seeking declaratory relief affirming that it has validly disaffiliated from the statewide union.

The local is also asking the court to make clear that it doesn’t owe the state union the money it is demanding.

“When I was elected to the leadership of Local 858, I took an oath that ‘I will dutifully abide by and promote the positions taken by the majority,’” said Devin Hallock, Local 858 secretary-treasurer and 9-year Denver firefighter. “Our members have voted repeatedly and decisively to cut ties with the state union, yet state and international union officials continue to disregard their voice. We will not back down simply because others refuse to respect the democratic will of our local.”

Complaint Argues Local 858 Was Free to Disaffiliate ‘At Any Time’

In rejecting Local 858’s multiple votes to separate from the state union, the international union claimed that the local did not follow the procedures outlined in Article XIV, Section 11 of the IAFF’s constitution and bylaws. However, the local argues that those documents outline no such disaffiliation procedure.

According the Local 858’s complaint, “Local 858 was therefore free to disaffiliate from CPFF at any time and in any manner that was reasonably calculated to reflect the will of its membership.”

A favorable ruling would allow Local 858 to move forward without having to remain part of or pay a state union it believes no longer serves them.

The Fairness Center previously represented New Haven Fire Fighters Local 825 in a similar lawsuit that established its independence from Connecticut’s state firefighters’ union, the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association.

Case Status & Documents

• Complaint
  August 10, 2026
• News Release
  August 11, 2026

Denver Fire Fighters Local 858 v. Colorado Professional Fire Fighters & IAFF is before the Denver District Court.