saying the hourly pay has been raised from $13 to $15 by providing a $1000 spot award to seasonals is a slap in the face. those folks are still making $13 an hour and if they stick it out will get a small bonus at the end of the season. no where near close to $2 an hour
as for the WG folks they make more than a GS 9, so i’m guessing that was the “excuse” for excluding them
Los Angeles Locality pay puts a new GS-3 Forestry Tech at 15.36/hr. While some may get a bump others wont get a thing. 10% retention pay is a start, but we’ve seen it before and it disappeared like a fart in the wind.
I applaud the pressure on the line officers, but I also think that each Forest FMO/Fire Chief are responsible as well. They may not be the direct supervisor of the distinct folks, but they do represent the fire program for their forest. And at the regional level they are in an essence the knights of the round table and they CAN unify against the BOD and stand up for their employees. I know some have done that, but they are in the minority. Each forest is so independent of each other. We need to unify more as region. That unification can present the consistent pressure that MHB has been speaking well on. So once the excitement of the retention pay wears off, the real work begins.
I’m very tanksful, and hopeful. I never thought I would see our issue on front street with the media and the politicians that run the place. Just need them talk about the real issue, which is yes the pay, but what that has caused to the program and that we are NOT “Federal Firefighters”.
Keep praying and working.
MHB has done a hell of a job. I too never thought this would be on Main Street. But now for the reality and what needs to happen.
A stand alone bill that just addresses this problem will pass though Congress unopposed and be signed into law in days.
But let’s be honest, THATS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. This will be cobbled together with “Fight for $15” or extended unemployment benefits or built as a PAY GO and include a taxe increase for “Budget Reasons”. Anyone of those reasons will be a poison pill. It will come down to “HOW BIG” will that Poison Pill be and if one side can use it as a club against the other side.
One needs to look, learn, and study history to understand how this works and what needs/should/will happen.
In 2021, people’s memories are short. Look at this conversation on this platform and compare it to ANY NEWS FEED.
THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN, MUST BE A STAND ALONE BILL!
Sadly, I won’t hold my breath.
Meanwhile, did the state get their raise today?
2% or 2.5% depending upon classification, yes.
It is not really a raise, but just a return on what was taken away from us last year during the covid “crises”.
If anything, a 2.5 % was handed out, which does not match up to the cost of living.
Bottom line, no raise.
The PLP days went away that gave back the 7.5% cut back to June 30, 2020 pay.
Got the July 1 2020 & July 1, 2021 rsises totalling 4.4%
Start paying back into retirement medical OBED 4.4%
But we kept the 53hr OT clock.
Oh yeah, the contract also expired & is in negotiations
But how much will my seasonal time be worth?
I know folks that would like to do that. I wish my dispatch(secondary 30 to life VS 20 to life) time could be accounted for similarly.
There will be 2 sessions one tommorow and another next Wednesday, 48 fire management employees (engines, crews, air ops)will try and hash out what we belive is fair and then have the opportunity to talk this through with leadership.
This is happining at the WO level and is being facilitated by Deputy Director of Fire and Avation. This is rubber meets the road and in more than 20 years of fighting for our fire employees we might affect positive change.
We need to try and stay positive, focused and think more about the people that will be around to replace us. We are America’s largest fire department and its time our leaders treat us as such.
Hey Shrek, far from negative. R5 WG(dozer operators) folks get forgotten. Staying positive.
Nice job state!
Shrek, what do you know? Splain?
That’s false though, as a WG in so cal a stepped out WG it’s roughly equivalent to GS 8
Everyone needs to bring effort to the table. Some of you’re out there doing important mid and high level staff work. Many are making sure you’re heard in some smaller degree. Both are equally important.
Keep hammering.
Recommend we stay focused on the three pillars. However that’s just how I see it. You all have great ideas as well.
The White House and agencies announcement is not enough to stop the bleed.
Don’t let up.
@latimes
@nytimes
@R5_Fire_News
@POTUS
@VP
@PressSec
@SecVilsack
@SecDebHaaland
@usfs_r5
@SenFeinstein
CA SNF announced “All Suppression, Prevention and Detection Personnel are on 24 Hour Staffing Pattern”
Normal ops for the ANF, CNF, BDF
Both are examples of ordered stand by. Chp 10-10 of the IIBMH
Your actions this week will raise the annual base salary for many entry-level Forest Service firefighters from $28,078 to $31,200. But that remains significantly lower than the $58,668 entry-level base salary for a Cal Fire firefighter.
Citing yearly wages based upon significant differences in base hours worked is fodder for those who would like to prevent this. There is more than ample reasoning to increase the hourly rate for FS fire line employees. Don’t need to gin it up with non comparative data points.
Using apples to oranges comparisons hurts oranges when they advocate for increasing their compensation. (No insult intended to apples).