South Fulton, GA Local 3920 recently signed its first collective bargaining agreement – the second of its kind in Georgia’s history. The new contract includes significant wage increases and improvements in employment conditions for members.

“We have accomplished a great deal,” said Capt. Andrea Hall, former Local 3920 president, who negotiated the agreement alongside 12th District Vice President Walt Dix and Randy Wyse, IAFF District Field Service Representative and president of Jacksonville, FL Local 122.

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Ed Kelly attended the signing, emphasized the day’s significance. He said: “You’ll find that when we go to the table and we use our voice, the people that benefit the most are the very people that we took an oath to protect. More often than not, the citizens we serve in municipalities and counties where they have collective bargaining agreements, where they can recruit and maintain their workforce, have a safer city.”

“As sure as we took an oath, our elected [officials] took an oath. And, we will, through this process, live up to the oaths we took to the citizens we swore to protect. We will only get better as fire fighters, as a fire department, as paramedics, as EMTS, as first responders, through the advocacy that collective bargaining provides us.”

Both Hall and Eric Patterson, current president of Local 3920, credited the collaboration among city officials. “They fought for us,” said Patterson. “If it were not for the City Council of South Fulton, we would not be here today. Hopefully, together, we’ll keep it moving [forward] and make a better 3920 than we’ve ever had. We’ll support the city, the citizens and everything about South Fulton.”