The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has shared its membership increased in 2025, with the addition of 88 new Locals.
Bringing more than 10,000 new members into the union and pushing total membership to 363,636 fire fighters and emergency medical workers.
According to the IAFF, that growth mirrors a broader trend.
In the 2025 union membership report released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 463,000 Americans organized last year, bringing total union representation in the United States to 16.5 million workers.
Public sector workers, like firefighters organized at higher rates than private sector employees, with 32% of public employees now unionized.
The data shows 11.2% of all wage and salary workers in the US are now covered under union contracts – the highest rate in 16 years.
General President Edward Kelly explained: “The IAFF is working every day to give firefighters a voice in the workplace.
“When our membership grows, our ability to secure safer working conditions and stronger protections grows with it.”
The new BLS report shows nearly half of all new union members came from southern states, which have historically enacted strict anti-labor laws that make organizing more difficult.
The IAFF, through its “Organize the South” campaign, saw strong growth in the Southern US during 2025 – including nine new Locals in Texas.
Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee also saw multiple new IAFF Locals formed.
Union workers covered by contracts earn 12% more on average than non-union workers, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute.
Union workers also report safer working environments and more than 90% of organized employees have access to an employer-sponsored retirement account.
The IAFF has already added multiple new Locals in 2026, including nine in January alone.
