At least they put something out, though I’d also like to know who these working groups are made up of and if we are being represented well.
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Hearing FS and DOI are working together on new salary tables for infra money.
Reportedly the tables will be available in June.
Although nothing is confirmed, if this is true, then it sounds like funds will not arrive as a large bonus, but potential an increase in hourly wages. If you’re in the $20,000 category, you can run those numbers out to see what your hourly pay might be.
Caution. Nothing is official. However the Infra law is clear. The bureaucrats should be doing this work with more transparency.
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PS. Reminder. The Secretaries of Ag and Interior do need to certify the locations in the country where these infra salary increases are needed. This would probably include a decision on which GS grades will be included in the new infra salary structure and which will not.
Keep them on honest and keep asking questions.
Keep fighting for the #TimHartAct
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All primary and secondary positions are included. Doesn’t matter the GS grade. And the pay increase is not a bonus. It’s a salary increase. Hourly wages will be increased so that your salary is increased by the lesser of 50% or $20k
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Good info. That seems to match what I heard. I didn’t hear about all GS grades, that’s encouraging and important. If you get additional intel, please post. Thanks.
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What about all the back pay? It did say effective October 2021 the pay rate will be in effect. If I do the math correct, by the time this goes in effect, I will be owed over 6 thousand dollars. So by the time they tax it, I might get around about 4500. This is so stupid, we could already have our pay raise in effect. Doesn’t take much to figure out on how to add 20000 or 50 percent to our pay.
Agree. Once we received unconfirmed reports that a salary table is being establish, it didn’t take long to figure out how to integrate $20,000 into a annual salary and produce an hourly wage.
I am not completely confident pay will be retro to Oct 1, 2021. Haven’t heard anything on that. If someone has please offer that up.
I can’t speak for Halley8 and others, but the info I provided, place a big asterisk by it, as I can’t confirm anything yet or won’t until it’s in writing.
The lack of official information from our national offices makes no sense. Right now they’re dangling a carrot and many firefighters have hit the pause button instead of opening the exit door.
FS and DOI employees should be receiving a weekly update and why that is so hard to do is beyond me. We have 20 plus PIOs on an incident and they can’t find just one to work them to provide a weekly update to employees? I only know of one way to call them on it, so that’s what I do.
What I can say with 100% certainty, FS and DOI fire and non fire officials read this site. Keep ‘em honest, don’t let up.
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Pay is definitely retro to 10/1/21. Its mentioned in the bill.
I agree its frustrating that its taking so long, but its not as simple as cutting a 52 for a lump sum payment. They are developing a new pay structure, so that is going to take some time. It takes us 3 months to onboard an employee, so I’m not expecting this to happen overnight. The one piece of info I haven’t heard is if the pay increase will be nation wide or only in areas that are having retention and hiring issues. Anyone have any insight on that?
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Good points. Both agencies need to provide updates. Official updates.
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In H.R. 3684, it states on page 1781 that the pay is retro active to October 1,2021. If anyone wants to look up the verbiage, go to the grassroots wildland fire webpage and download the entire bill. On page 1780, line 9, the legislation about Wildland Firefighters begins.
I believe it’s clear as day about the retro active pay. Some of the other items are open for interpretation though. As far as the timeline for actually getting paid, in my experience getting the money for passed bills does take quite a while because the appropriations need to be made first before they can start cutting checks. Also I think creating the wildland firefighter series needs to happen before the funds can be released.
Keep hounding your overhead every time you have a captains meeting or otherwise. Talk with your unions as well as they might have additional insight. And don’t stop there. Keep writing to your congresspeople for the Tim Hart Act. This is just the beginning.
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Does anyone know how they are going to incorporate the Forestry Tech on the east coast who only fights fire once or twice a month?. They are 462’s. Are they going to make them Wildland Fire Fighters for their 2 months of fire season and then covert them back to Forestry Techs for their remaining 10 months or are they going to remain at the WLFF level for the entire year?
And on the all the 5 agencies land, are thy going let the WLFF do some of the old Forestry tasks not related to fire but more general Forestry tasks? Will the WLFF be "encroaching on Forestry Tech tasks? And I imagine their will eventually be a union formed, and doing jobs not related to fire will be someone else’s job. And union workers will not cross the line when it is not in you job description.
I write all this is because “THEY” is Washington are, if your not careful, they will basically will write your job description in reverse order as today and say you are a Wildland Fire Fighter first, but you are a Forestry Tech second. Then they will wait a few years and then say "See, they are Fire Fighter, but they spend most of the time doing forestry things, not related to fire. And they will put everyone back into their job, and they will this was a bad choice, given the production we got out of them as WLFF’s.
If you want to be WLFF’s, then that is the only job you should do. Only things related to fire should you do. Trail maintenances is NOT he job of Hot Shot crew or engine crew. Cleaning up campsites it not a WLFF’s job. Fixing water tanks for ducks in not a WLFF job.
Hopefully you get the jist of what I’m saying. I know some of the extra jobs you did are “fun” and let you get out on the road to see some of you response area, but now you are WLFF’s. They Rec Techs need to pick up the slack. Once you start encroaching on basic Forestry Tech duties, you will give those in Washington the ammo to shut this conversion and return you to old jobs.
You really need to start an union NOW… and have them sitting in any and all conversations and meetings, respective to your new classifications. Because who is representing you now? Do you want a BC or DC representing you as the process begins? Some of the FMO’s have been on the ground as you when they started. But 10-15 years into their careers they the forgot about the first 10 years? All the hardships, learning curves, paths to take?
Remember all those benefits those city or county or CAL FIRE personnel got where through their union, not the State or local Government. They fought for every one of those work benefits by sitting down with management and personnel, and finance and made their case. It was not won just by being in their department. I disapprove of several things the union did, but in the long run we got a good portion of what we asked for. That is why you pay for them, Their job is to fight for you, because they ARE YOU.
January is closing and May is coming up soon!! Who is representing you in Washington? Who is speaking for you? Do they know what you want? Are there things want? Who did you send your request to? Are your concerns being addressed as this brand new career field becomes alive?
CAL FIRE did not ger Portal to Portal just because they worked for the state of California. They had to bargain for it at contract time. They had to fight for their health and safety to get a good nights rest, when possible, knowing they were still subject to recall, at anytime. That is something they accepted as part of the agreement. CAL FIRE agued, but agreed. And just so you know, not all of CAL FIRE “portal to Portal”. Only Firefighters, FF1 to the Director is PTP. They Forestry Logistics Officer, the Mechanics’ the Com Ops, the Office staff all do not get PTP. So are you wanting PTP for all or just the line personnel? Hard choice!!!
The USFS has a union.
and the infrastructure bill states that “wildland firefighters” will be doing a LOT of fuels reduction projects. so we won’t be just “fighting fire”
as to your first sentence that is the big question…I keep hearing “in areas that have hiring and retention issues”
A lot to unpack there Kee. I probably need to let most of your questions sink in for a bit before offering some thoughts.
I will say your comments about union bargaining are spot on IMHO. For actual “roll up your sleeves” at the table bargaining for salary and benefits we don’t really have that. We rely on associations and a union to lobby on our behalf, the legislative branch to debate and pass it, the executive branch must agree to it and bureaucratic people at the agencies to implement our salary and benefits. I am envious and proud of the union bargaining power related to salary and benefits that some states and local government firefighters have in the workplace. I say good on them and keep up the great work.
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Point of clarification on portal to portal…only FF1 to BC get it, Division chiefs and higher only get 16 hour days, along with the other ranks mentioned.
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From Internal USFS Site:
Recently, the secretary and Chief announced a new national strategy to confront the wildfire crisis facing the nation, focusing on dramatically increasing the scale of forest health treatments over the next decade. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides nearly $3 billion to reduce hazardous fuels and restore America’s forests and grasslands, along with investments in fire-adapted communities and post fire reforestation.
In addition to this critical funding for landscapes, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also put a spotlight on critical changes needed to support wildland firefighters by including provisions for pay increases and requiring the development of a new wildland firefighter series. A lot of work was ongoing prior to the bill being passed to ensure that the Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, and the Office of Personnel Management are coordinated in implementing these new provisions. Thousands of firefighting employees are waiting for information about the status of this work. There is significant complexity in implementing these new provisions, but Inside the Forest Service will be share updates frequently and transparently.
“Wildland Firefighter” occupational series: The Office of Personnel Management, USDA Forest Service and DOI have convened a workgroup that is meeting regularly.
- The Office of Personnel Management developed an action plan with milestones and a timeline.
- The workgroup is reviewing the previous GS-0456 classification standard, as well as other background documents (standard position descriptions, job analyses, recent job opportunity announcements, etc.) per the ask of OPM.
- The workgroup is reviewing all covered PDs to determine which will be retained for reclassification into the proposed new series.
- The group will hold focus group sessions February/March.
- The OPM requirement is to have this work completed by May.
Wildland Firefighter pay and compensation: OPM, Forest Service and DOI have a workgroup specific to pay and compensation.
- Both DOI and USDA have issued guidance to ensure no firefighter is paid less than $15 an hour.
- There is $600,000,000 available in the law for salaries and expenses ($480,000,000 for USDA FS and $120,000,000 for DOI)
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires an increase in base salary of a federal wildland firefighter by lesser of $20,000 per year or 50% of salary after determination within a specified geographic area it is difficult to recruit or retain.
- Forest Service and DOI are working with OPM to determine how to define “wildland firefighter” as it pertains to this provision since the new occupational series is not yet in place.
- Initial analysis comparing average federal and state wages and house purchasing power for firefighter (delineated to common wildland fire geographic areas) is ongoing to help provide insights in how to determine “a specified geopathic area that is difficult to recruit or retain.”
- Goal is to have increased payments into paychecks by this summer, either by implementing this provision or using the awards payments model employed last year if we can’t fully implement this provision in FY 22.
Conversion to a more permanent workforce: Conversion of temporary wildland fire response positions to permanent, full-time positions available for fire response activities year-round.
- The $600,000,000 provided in the law also can also be used to convert not fewer than 1,000 seasonal firefighters (the total is across both USDA FS and DOI) to full-time, permanent, year-round employees and will reduce hazardous fuels on Federal land not fewer than 800 hours per year.
- The department and Forest Service are identifying personnel that may meet this requirement but recognize that it will likely be difficult for full-time employees to meet response requirements and conduct fuels reduction work 800 hours per year.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
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Information flow on pay and classification seems to be locked down tight. Not hearing anything.
Might be time to ask a few political types for an update.
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To those speaking the truth to power and to the press, thank you.
I no longer think the word serious or critical can be applied to the current situation. We’ve passed that point. It’s been four months and four days since the Infrastructure Act was signed by POTUS. The agencies have not provided a clear path as to when or if the pay raises will occur.
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You know what I’m tired of hearing of and having to deal with is the workload/collateral duties/and the you know what you signed up for attitude. I’m tired of being tired, and have made the decision to through in the towel, after 18 fire seasons and 7 years perm…it’s not worth the heartache, and brain warping of being voluntold to work 6th days if not 7th.
The fact of the matter is we don’t do what I signed up for, call me a quitter, but I have to make the EASY decision to say fuck it…it’s over, I’d rather watch the smoke while drinking a beer rather than boiling hot water
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