Solid article, now if it could just get to the people who are holding the future for many of us in their hands. We need some kind of positive change in the agency and in the career of being a wildland firefighter and not a forestry technician.
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What’s with all the portal to portal chatter out there for feds? Rumors? Or does someone know something that is about to drop?
Rumblings in the ground for sure. Grassroots getting everyone primed too…
It’s about time. Hopefully it comes through!
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I haven’t heard anything about portal to portal since July. It would be great to get, but would have been even nicer to have had all summer.
That would have taken someone actually doing something instead of just purposing the idea. I’d bet this doesn’t happen for at least another year.
I’m sure all on this thread know. But for those that don’t, Grassroots is having a monthly meeting on Thursday evening at 6:30pm I believe. I’m guessing the “heavy” news will be dropping then.
Regardless of what it is, I’m looking forward to it. Speculation is running wild in my mind, but trying to stay grounded. Hang in there all.
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I have been a long term hopefull for the cause. I have seen a lot of bills come and go but this one reads and looks very polished. I hope it get more publicity and bipartisan support to go through.
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I don’t fully understand the "earns retirement benefits for temp work done, retroactively for the last 10 years of service "? Does this mean you can move your retirement SCD back with temp time but only if its been in the lat 10 years? A lot of us have temp time beyond that. Or does it mean something else?
So this is what non agency groups are pushing ? So is the agency trying to do something else? The white house mandated the agencies make change so what’s coming from them?
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Yeah, that was some weird terminology. I would love for my 2000 to 2006 seasons count towards my retirement.
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They just might. We all need to push this hard.
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from page 19 of the pdf, sounds like you would at least be able to buy back temp time
DEPOSIT SERVICE.—Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any service performed by an individual
as a Federal wildland firefighter on or after January 1,
1989, for which retirement deductions under chapter 84
of title 5, United States Code, have not been made shall
be creditable under such chapter, but only if such fire-
fighter—
(1) submits a written election to the Director;
(2) the deposit requirements of section 8411(f)
of such title had been met with respect to such service.
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Thanks for looking that up, sorry I should have looked at the full doc. That makes sense because I believe that back dates to the last time temp employment was able to be bought.
Yet in the fact sheet it says.
Ensure all federal wildland firefighters earn retirement benefits for temporary seasonal employment, retroactively applying to the last 10 years of service
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Our pay is a long ways from where it should be. When you look at most trade’s that require education, years of training to climb the responsibility ladder, and high work ethic and performance…those careers pay very well after all the work. Fire seems to just stagnate. Work more, then work more and more if you want more
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I saw this on the web, maybe some you have read it. It helps describe the challenges that wildland firefighters have making ends meet. I hope this, and the other light that is finally showing on this national crisis will get the attention it deserves.
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Keep fighting. We’ve come too far to not push hard now for Congressmen Neguse’s Tim Hart bill.
Get this thing on the floor of the House, one way or another.
Let’s get Tim’s wife Michelle to the White House for this signing!
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