WTXL 9/18/23 News Story - Firefighters Fight for a Better Pay

9/20/23 WTXL ABC - No Deal for Tallahassee's Firefighters

9/26/23 The FAMUAN - Firefighter Negotiations Continue

11/14/23 WFSU News - Firefighters March On City Hall

Tallahassee Democrat 11/15/23 - Firefighter Negotiations Drag On

11/15/23 WCTV CBS - "There's Just Nothing Left" for Firefighters

11/15/23 WTXL ABC - Firefighters March For Better Pay

12/8/23 WFSU News - Firefighters At Impasse With City

WCTV 12/11/23 News Story - Firefighters Union Declares Impasse

12/14/23 WFSU News- City Clashes With Firefighters On Cancer Benefit

Organized in 1974 as a public sector union working under the rights provided under Florida State Law Chapter 447  .  Formed under the Florida Professional Firefighters and International Association of Firefighters. 

Our associations have been the driving force behind nearly every advance in the fire and emergency services in the 21st century.  Here's a list of legislative achievements 

 The Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC) overseas the public sector unions in Florida and approves the job classifications permitted to be covered by our association.  The Tallahassee Professional Firefighters bargain for 279 employees split into two separate  units. The Rank and File (Firefighters, Fire Engineers, Fire Lieutenants) and the Supervisory Unit (Fire Battalion Chiefs, Fire Captains)

Collective bargaining is a Florida constitutional right for public employees registered as such with the PERC.  Collective Bargaining Agreements i.e. Contracts are permitted to be up to three years in length.  Subjects permitted to bargain over are outlined by the State of Florida.

The City Manager, Reese Goad has retained outside council Michael Mattimore with Allen, Norton and Blue  to negotiate on behalf of the city.  Mattimore has been involved in multiple costly multiyear contract feud with firefighters and other bargaining units around Florida. 

If no agreement is reached during the process, either party can declare impasse. The Union declared impasse in December after having four times the number of negotiations as the City's other bargaining unit with no agreement in sight.  This triggered a costly Special Magistrate process that will begin in February. Both sides can continue to negotiate until the final stages of the impasse process. 

The final decision on our contract process lies in the hands of the City Commission.  They can direct the City Manager to end the impasse at any time, or should the process reach the Special Magistrate, they have the ability to do what is right and fair for our firefighters.

Tallahassee Firefighters contribute the highest mandatory retirement contribution (18.69%) when compared to Florida Fire and Police Departments.

Tallahassee City Commissioner rejects request to lower firefighter retirement contribution rates from the Tallahassee Democrat May 10, 2018