NEWS
Member health & wellness
IAFF Center of Excellence
The IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery is a one-of-a-kind addiction treatment facility specializing in PTSD for IAFF members – and IAFF members only – who are struggling with addiction, PTSD and other related behavioral health challenges to receive the help they need in taking the first steps toward recovery. It is a safe haven for members to talk with other members who have faced or overcome similar challenges.
Call to action • September 22, 2026
Members: Show Up for City Council
Local 539 members and retirees: attend the Portsmouth City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and stand together in support of collective bargaining. Your presence matters. Help show Council that Portsmouth’s firefighters and paramedics want a voice in the decisions that affect our work and our families.
Know the issues
What Is Collective Bargaining?
Collective bargaining is how employees, through their union, negotiate with their employer over pay, benefits, hours and working conditions. It gives workers a shared voice and a process for reaching a written agreement and addressing workplace concerns.
FACEBOOK UPDATES
Please find below and attached a press release from Portsmouth Professional Firefighters & Paramedics, IAFF Local 539, regarding the Portsmouth City Council’s unanimous approval of the City’s collective bargaining ordinance.
The unanimous vote represents a historic victory for Local 539 and Portsmouth’s public employees. Please contact the Local 539 Executive Board at [email protected] with any questions or requests for additional information.
Thank you for your consideration and coverage.
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HISTORY MADE IN PORTSMOUTH!
The Portsmouth City Council has officially passed the collective bargaining ordinance!
This victory belongs to every city employee, union member, supporter, and citizen who stood together and made their voices heard. Thank you to the members of City Council who voted to give Portsmouth employees a voice at the table.
This is an important step forward, but our work is just beginning. We remain united and ready for what comes next.
When we stand together, we win together!
International Association of Fire Fighters Virginia Professional Fire Fighters Mayor Shannon E. GloverBill Moody Councilman Vernon L. Tillage Councilwoman Kitty Bryant Yolanda Edmonds Thomas
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🔴 TONIGHT, PORTSMOUTH! City Council votes on collective bargaining, and your presence matters.
Wear RED and join us at City Hall. Let’s fill the room and show Council that city employees stand together for a meaningful voice in our pay, benefits, and working conditions.
✊ UNITED WE BARGAIN. DIVIDED WE BEG.
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