Atlanta, GA

‘We will see resignations’: Atlanta firefighter union says 2025 pay is inadequate

Published

2 years ago

September 3, 2024

‘We will see resignations’: Atlanta firefighter union says 2025 pay is inadequate

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Tuesday, roughly two dozen Atlanta firefighters showed up to the Atlanta City Council appealing to city leaders to increase their pay plan for 2025.

“If the plan doesn’t change, we will see resignations,” said Nate Bailey, president of Atlanta Professional Firefighters, the union representing roughly 600 Atlanta firefighters and paramedics.

Bailey said the city suddenly removed four large cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia – when calculating the 2025 budget for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD), a change that decreased the overall salary budget by roughly $5 million, said Bailey.

“We need to increase the staffing, and the only way to do that is good pension and competitive salaries,” said Bailey.

Bailey said there are currently roughly 860 firefighters in the department. He said the ideal size is 1,100 members.

Atlanta News First reached out to AFRD to get a sense of their department size. A spokesperson has not responded to that request.

Bailey said he fears firefighters will leave Atlanta for higher-paying departments should the pay scale not be adjusted.

A city spokesperson told Atlanta News First that Mayor Andre Dickens’ commitment to first responders has been clear since he took office.

The city has invested roughly $105 million into Atlanta fire equipment and facilities under the Dickens administration, according to a city spokesperson.

The city said they’ve also increased starting salaries for critical fire positions by 15 to 37 percent since 2022.

“There is always more work to be done. However, Mayor Dickens and City Council have made significant investments in the men and women of AFRD, their facilities and the equipment they use to keep our communities safe,” said a city spokesperson.

The current pay scale would increase the salary for every firefighter and every employee by at least 2 percent.

Bailey recognized the increase, but said that does not match market value and fears the pay will leave the department inadequately staffed.

“It’s a safety issue. It’s a huge safety issue,” Bailey said. “We already have firefighters work 48 hours straight, sometimes even 50-52 hours without sleep, because we have some of the busiest engine companies in the country. So it means more overtime shifts, it means less safe firefighters.”

Source link

Click to comment

Atlanta, GA

Robbie Ray leads SF Giants over Atlanta for first winning homestand since April

Published

10 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Press Room

Robbie Ray leads SF Giants over Atlanta for first winning homestand since April

SAN FRANCISCO — Robbie Ray was everything the Giants could ask for on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park.

In a performance that continued a strong recent stretch, the 34-year-old went eight innings and gave up a single unearned run, leading San Francisco to a 3-2 win.

It was an outing that will only increase potential interest in Ray at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, one where the Giants figure to be busy after ending their first winning homestand since April with a record of 35-48.

The Braves, who remain in first place in the NL East, are 49-33.

Ray was perfect through four innings until Matt Olson broke up his run of 12 consecutive batters retired with a single to center to lead off the fifth.

His shutout bid was ruined in the eighth when Michael Harris II drove in Eli White with a sacrifice fly, but Ray buckled down and retired Ozzie Albies with a popup to center to end the inning.

The Giants got on the board when Luis Arraez scored in the sixth on an infield single by Rafael Devers, running home when Austin Riley’s throw bounced off Olson’s glove and trickled away from him down the right-field line. They scored again when Albies threw the ball past Olson on Jung Hoo Lee’s grounder to the right side, allowing Heliot Ramos to score.

Ramos made his return from a right quad strain Sunday and played in his first game with the Giants since May 15.

Source link

Atlanta, GA

Would you work here? Georgia’s top office has been revealed

Published

20 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Press Room

Would you work here? Georgia’s top office has been revealed

A new survey suggests that if Georgia workers could choose any office in the state to work from, many would pick Chick-fil-A’s headquarters in Atlanta.

The survey from Resume.io asked more than 3,000 workers nationwide to identify the workplaces they would most like to work from if location were not a factor.

Participants were instructed to judge the office environment itself rather than salary, benefits, company culture or employer reputation.

Among Georgia locations, the Chick-fil-A Support Center ranked highest, followed by Porsche Cars North America’s headquarters in Atlanta.

Chick-fil-A tops Georgia list

The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A Support Center ranked No. 17 nationally in the survey.

Researchers highlighted the campus-style setting, which includes landscaped grounds, gardens, walking trails and visitor experiences. The workplace was noted for having a more retreat-like atmosphere than a traditional office tower.

The support center serves as the corporate headquarters for the restaurant chain founded by S. Truett Cathy.

Porsche headquarters also earns recognition

Coming in at No. 30 nationally was the headquarters of Porsche Cars North America.

Located in metro Atlanta, the campus is home to the Porsche Experience Center and includes a driver development track, simulators, event space, training facilities and a vehicle restoration workshop.

The survey described the site as a workplace that immerses employees in the brand’s automotive culture.

What workers want from an office

According to Resume.io, respondents were asked to focus strictly on the physical workplace environment when making their selections.

The survey comes as many employers continue balancing in-office, hybrid and remote work arrangements.

Amanda Augustine, a career expert with Resume.io, said employee expectations have changed as flexible work has become more common.

“If people are going to spend time commuting and working onsite, the experience has to offer something more than a desk and fluorescent lighting,” Augustine said.

Which offices ranked highest nationwide?

Nationally, the top-ranked workplace was Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York City.

Other offices appearing near the top of the list included the PGA TOUR Global Home in Florida, Servco Pacific’s headquarters in Hawaii, Google’s St. John’s Terminal in New York and TikTok’s U.S. Data Security office in Arizona.

Georgia was one of only a handful of states to place two workplaces among the survey’s top 30 most desirable offices.

For more information, visit resume.io.

Vanessa Johns is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia, covering food and entertainment. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.

Source link