Hanover Professional Firefighters Local 4202

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

05/15/2026

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has vetoed legislation to expand collective bargaining to public workers – including fire fighters and emergency medical

05/13/2026

Today, the Governor of Virginia turned her back on Virginia firefighters and public sector workers across the Commonwealth.

"Virginia’s firefighters will continue running into danger, saving lives and making a difference every single day in this Commonwealth. Virginians trust their firefighters will show up when they are needed most. Unfortunately, now firefighters know they cannot trust their Governor to show up for them."

For the full statement, see the image or visit: https://www.vpff.org/news/

Abigail Spanberger
International Association of Fire Fighters
Virginia AFL-CIO

05/04/2026

Virginia Firefighters are asking Gov. Abigail Spanberger to SIGN THE BILL! Collective bargaining for all Virginia firefighters is within our grasp. SB378 and HB1263 passed the General Assembly after much consideration and negotiation, and with the support of workers across the Commonwealth.

The effort, misinformation and fear-mongering of localities and their lobbying firms against collective bargaining is reason enough to demonstrate the need for it. On behalf of all Virginia firefighters, we are asking the Governor of Virginia to respect the will of the General Assembly and support the workers of Virginia, not those who wish to silence our voice.

Virginia AFL-CIO
Scott A. Surovell
Delegate Kathy Tran
International Association of Fire Fighters

04/30/2026

04/27/2026

Studies have shown localities with collective bargaining have lower death rates per fire. In addition, firefighters who are allowed to actively participate in decisions affecting their employment are happier, healthier and more productive. This leads to increased recruitment and retention, which directly impacts the safety of the citizens they protect.

The collective bargaining legislation on the desk of the Governor of Virginia would allow firefighters to collaboratively work with their locality to make important decisions on items such as pay, hours, benefits, staffing and safety. We ask Gov. Spanberger to SIGN THE BILL. Please give firefighters the voice and respect they deserve.

Virginia AFL-CIO
Scott A. Surovell
Delegate Kathy Tran
International Association of Fire Fighters
Abigail Spanberger

04/16/2026

RICHMOND, Va. —The Virginia Public Sector Labor coalition — which comprises Virginia AFL-CIO; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers; American Federation of Teachers-American Association of University Professors; Communications Workers of America (CWA); SEIU Virginia 512; Virginia Education Association (VEA); Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF); UNITE HERE; and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 — today issued the following joint statement calling on the Virginia General Assembly to reject Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s proposed changes to historic collective bargaining legislation that would allow more than half a million public service workers — including teachers, firefighters, county and city workers, state workers, and home care workers — the freedom to collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits and working conditions:

“For the past six years, the Virginia Public Sector labor coalition, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers across the Commonwealth, has fought alongside state legislators to secure a seat at the table for those workers. The comprehensive collective bargaining legislation that passed the General Assembly furthered the promise of affordability and was a historic step toward dignity, fairness, and a voice on the job.

“While the governor could have opted to strengthen the bill by amending it to include all higher education workers, she instead chose to exclude more workers, diminish worker protections, and force many local public service workers — including teachers, firefighters and social workers — to wait until the next decade for collective bargaining rights. The dozens of changes made to the bill weaken the ability of workers to bargain meaningful contracts.

“The governor’s changes would remove many of the guaranteed worker protections from the law and put their future in the hands of the uncertain regulatory process. This move bypasses the General Assembly and grants any governor the power to derail collective bargaining without a single public vote. Under the governor’s substitute version of the bill, many workers who currently have collective bargaining agreements would actually have fewer protections than they do now. For example, in the event of a workplace dispute between a worker and management, the General Assembly’s version of the bill allows binding arbitration, which provides a fair and final roadmap for resolving conflicts, protecting workers from management overreach while ensuring employers have the labor stability and certainty they need to keep public services running smoothly. In the governor’s version of the bill, the decision of a neutral third-party arbiter would only be considered advisory rather than binding.

“The freedom to bargain for a fair contract should belong to the workers who power our Commonwealth, not to politicians. Collective bargaining is the standard in a majority of states and throughout the private sector; it is a proven tool for building a stable, professional workforce. Right now, we are losing many of our best teachers and firefighters because they lack a voice on the job. This legislation isn’t just about fairness—it is a critical solution to our public sector retention crisis. By ensuring fair pay and workplace stability, the original bill stands as the session’s most significant win for economic affordability. On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Virginia workers we represent, we urge the General Assembly to reject this substitute.”

# # #

01/06/2026

The City of Fredericksburg has agreed to pay $365,000 to 15 current and former first responders, compensating them for “back pay, liquidated damages, service awards, attorneys’ fees, and litigation expenses,” according to court documents obtained by hyperbole.

That amount will be covered by the city’s insurance policy, those records state.

The settlement was signed by City Manager Tim Baroody.

The City of Fredericksburg stood accused by more than a dozen EMS staff of an "asserted failure to pay overtime compensation properly under the FLSA" over several years, the records show.

According to documents, the prospect of a settlement arose after mediation was ordered by the Eastern District Court of Virginia on October 6, 2025. One month later and with the assistance of US Magistrate Judge Colombell, records state that both parties reached terms that were “fair, reasonable, adequate and in the Parties’ mutual interest.”

That $365,000 settlement arrived in a pair of payments.

The City of Fredericksburg agreed to make one series of payments (in the form of checks and direct deposits) totaling $182,500, with amounts ranging from $5,000 to more than $17,000 distributed to each plaintiff. Documents labeled this “the Backpay Amount.”

A second, single check in the amount of $182,500 for the liquid damages, service awards, attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses was given to the plaintiffs’ counsel, McGillivary Steele Elkin LLP. That firm will keep 33.33% of the settlement amount prior to distributing the liquid damages to the plaintiffs, those documents state.

Court records show that individual plaintiffs will see total compensation ranging from just over $6,000 to nearly $25,000. That’s after each pays their third in attorneys’ fees, while another $7,229.91 from the total settlement was allotted for expenses.

hyperbole originally reported about the lawsuit last spring, writing that 16 City of Fredericksburg EMS staff alleged that they were deprived of three years worth of overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Their complaint stated that the city was improperly classifying them under a 207(k) exemption reserved for police and firefighters.

Instead of basing overtime on time worked in excess of the traditional 40 hours per week, that exemption establishes a separate work period for calculating overtime between 7 and 28 days. Employee overtime is determined based on the number of excess hours worked during those defined periods, which for law enforcement officers is all time over 171 work hours and for firefighters is 212 hours.

According to their original complaint, the plaintiffs maintained they aren’t involved in fire suppression activities, stating that they lacked the legal authority, necessary training, weren’t issued equipment and weren’t required to obtain any firefighter certifications.

For their side of the settlement, the City of Fredericksburg gets a dismissal of the original complaint and are “fully and forever released” from “all Federal wage and hour claims asserted in the Lawsuit.”

“The City does not admit any allegations made against it in the Lawsuit,” court documents state.

The settlement also secured silence, with both parties agreeing to recite the following approved statement with regards to the settlement:

“The City of Fredericksburg is pleased to report that, thanks to the City’s insurance coverage, the Kirby et. Al v. City of Fredericksburg lawsuit has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of all parties. The City and the Plaintiffs look forward to continuing to provide high-quality services to the City’s residents and visitors.”

The City of Fredericksburg did not address hyperbole’s questions about the settlement, the public statement, or the city’s treatment of staff.

Instead, the following statement and memo (attached) were provided by Fredericksburg Public Information Officer Caitlyn McGhee.

“This matter has been resolved by a settlement agreement (as noted in City Council’s Consent Agenda on November 18, 2025). While the settlement terms remain confidential and the City did not concede liability, the City has communicated with Fire Department staff about post-settlement operational changes.”

City Manager Tim Baroody did not respond to any direct inquiries related to the settlement.

With regards to how the settlement will impact recruiting and retention, the city has the funds for a plan.

“The City has engaged a consultant to engage in an effort to develop a plan for the Fire Department that will include considerations of important recruitment and retention efforts,” McGhee replied.

❤️ Fredericksburg's Original Social Media Company
🚨 No Newsroom Is The New Newsroom
🎟 Unlock bonus content on Patreon: bit.ly/3PhH7aZ

01/05/2026

Today is the last full day to order if you are interested.

Online ordering for 2026 Hanover Fire Cancer Awareness Fundraiser ends on Sun, Dec 7, 2025 (11:59 PM CST)