Local, State, and Federal
In 2023, members of your Executive Board and Political Action Committee met with local, state, and national elected officials to discuss issues that impact firefighters.At the national level, Chief Cagle and President Coker participated in the annual Labor Roundtable hosted by Representative Kathy Manning. The roundtable was held at the Teamsters Local 391 union hall. Several unions were represented, including the Teamsters, Communications Workers, United Auto Workers, Musicians, SMART, the Stagehands, and Letter Carriers. Cagle and Coker raised several issues, including funding for the national firefighter cancer registry, the windfall elimination provision, and ways that Rep. Manning can assist Local 947 locally.
Members also had a strong showing at the NC AFL-CIO legislative luncheon hosted by the Triad Central Labor Council. There were also several area unions in attendance. Again, Local 947 members raised our concerns about civil service legislation. We provided all attendees with an informational leaflet we produced and were able to speak to state Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons. We also took a number of trips to the North Carolina General Assembly to lobby for civil service and cancer protections. At the local level, we stayed in close contact with several members of the city council regarding compensation, civil service, and several other issues.
Civil Service Brings New Protections
In August, our civil service bill became law after being passed by the NC Senate as part of a larger local government omnibus bill. Firefighters and police officers in Greensboro won genuine due process and cause protections in the event of significant disciplinary action. This was a historic win for Greensboro's firefighters that was several years in the making! Local 947 began in 2016, advocating for a civil service bill at the state and local levels. The measure passed despite stiff and vocal opposition by members of the Greensboro city council. Mayor Vaughan, Tammi Thurm, and Zack Matheny were the only council members who did not vote to oppose the bill.
Advocacy Ushers Progress
Local 947 members brought a number of issues to our executive board in 2023. The executive board presented the concerns to Greensboro Fire Department administration and city staff directly with the City Manager.Local 947 advocated for a larger Engineer list due to anticipated vacancies. GFD Administration increased the list by five, expanding the traditional 20 to 25. President Coker spoke directly with CIty Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba regarding the lag in receiving overtime.We partnered with Haw River Assembly to show Burned at UNCG Weatherspoon Art Museum. Burned: Protecting the Protectors is a documentary about cancers plaguing the fire service and becoming the number one killer of firefighters. Members attended it, the GFD administration, Mayor Vaughan, and others from our community.
