IAFF Local 22

IAFF Local 22 represents the uniformed firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical personnel of the Philadelphia Fire Department. As public safety employees, they are covered by Pennsylvania's Act 111 and settle contract disputes through binding interest arbitration rather than strikes; see Public Sector Bargaining in Pennsylvania.^[1]

1 Leadership and membership

The local's website lists Michael Bresnan as president. The local describes itself as having a history of more than 100 years, tracing back to the City Firefighters' Association, and says it represents more than 4,500 current and retired firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and officers of the Philadelphia Fire Department. That figure includes retirees, so it is larger than the number of active bargaining-unit members. Elected officers and building stewards run day-to-day representation; the union's site asks members to volunteer as stewards and to serve on committees.^[2]

The local also operates member services that are separate from bargaining, including a health plan (the Local 22 Health Plan) and a banquet hall that it rents to the public. It is affiliated with the national International Association of Fire Fighters.^[2]

2 Contracts and Act 111 arbitration

Pennsylvania's Act 111 of 1968 covers police officers and firefighters. It forbids strikes and replaces them with a process in which unresolved bargaining disputes go to a three-member interest arbitration panel: one arbitrator named by the union, one by the employer, and a neutral chairperson. The panel's award is binding on both sides, and courts review it only narrowly. Because of this structure, a firefighters' contract is usually called an "award" when it is decided by a panel rather than agreed at the table.^[1]

On the city side, contracts are negotiated by the mayor's administration, working with the Law Department and the Office of Human Resources. The cost of any settlement or award must fit within the five-year financial plan that is reviewed by PICA. The same framework applies to the police union, FOP Lodge 5, whose August 2025 award the city announced in a press release (see that article for its terms). Firefighters' pay is also affected by the department's size and deployment: the Fire Department staffs 63 stations, and its EMS division is among the busiest in the country, according to the city.^[4]

3 The July 2026 award

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on July 9, 2026 that an arbitration panel had issued a two-year award for Local 22 after members had worked without a new contract for more than a year, and that the Parker administration announced it that day. The newspaper compared the firefighters' award with the police award issued the previous summer. The terms of the award are a public record held by the parties; readers who need exact wage figures should consult the city's announcement or the award itself rather than press summaries.^[3] The city has said its labor settlements must be balanced against its long-term financial obligations.

4 Politics

Because firefighters cannot strike, their leverage in city politics comes mainly through arbitration, public campaigns over staffing and station closures, and endorsements. See Labor and Politics in Philadelphia for how city unions engage in elections, and Office of Emergency Management for the broader emergency-response system that the Fire Department is part of.

See also: Organized Labor in Philadelphia, Philadelphia AFL-CIO Council.

References

1. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, pa.gov (Act 111 overview); Act 111 of 1968, 43 P.S. section 217.1 et seq.
2. IAFF Local 22, iaff22.org (Contact and Home pages, viewed October 2026).
3. Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philadelphia firefighters contract pay police" (July 9, 2026).
4. City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Fire Department department page, phila.gov (63 stations; EMS division).