And our congressman says Firefighters are unskilled labor
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That’s because our congressman has never been spawled out all over the highway with a group of Firefighters cutting him out of a vehicle, holding C-spine and putting him on a backboard. With the skill and expertise to extricate him and provide measures not only to save his life, but to walk again. That same congressmen should go spend some time at a busy house, my it be Cal Fire, Local Gov, City. The are plenty of opportunity close by in his district!
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Sooo, any new golden nuggets of information out there? I have been writing to my congress people advocating for our cause. All I have seen is congress in a political mess. It’s been very quiet on the front of pay and benefits for Wildland FFs. If anyone has any news, I’d love to hear it.
Keep the advocacy up. I understand congress has some big fish to fry. Maybe a small fish like ourselves would be a great victory for some of them to high-five each other! To me, this is crunch time for us ladies and gents. We’ve 22 days left…
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All quiet. Doesn’t look like the house and senate have even started FY24 budget negotiations.
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Looking at the new budget they just released it’s got wording in it to keep our pay raise from the BIL to the end of the FY, still no perm fix that I see in there yet.
If the paycheck protection act doesn’t pass in this session then it’s back to the start for us.
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I am seeing the same 462 to 456. Still looking for more specifics. Need to get something done quick. Bleeding out FFers every week.
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Pay for federal wildland firefighters
Unlike the flat or reduced budgeting that many agencies will see under the new minibus, federal wildland firefighters at both the Interior Department and the U.S. Forest Service will be getting more secure resources.
As Congress ran down the clock for reaching spending agreements over the last several months, the frontline employees have come to the edge of a pay cliff many times over.
Now, the 2024 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill maintains a higher pay rate for federal wildland firefighters.
Firefighters first received a pay boost in 2022 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Under the infrastructure law, federal firefighters received either $20,000 or 50% of their annual base salary, whichever number was lower.
In addition to maintaining that raise, the minibus keeps current staffing levels for federal firefighters as well.
Advocates of federal firefighters, including the National Federation of Federal Employees, said they were “pleased” with the outcome — and are now setting their sights on future developments for the frontline workforce.
“For months, these selfless men and women have had to live with the possibility of their pay being cut in half overnight,” NFFE National President Randy Erwin said in a statement. “We can now further focus our attention on passing a permanent base pay increase through supplemental legislation.”
Some senators have already started pushing for a permanent pay raise for firefighters as well, under a bill called the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act.
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My impression is that this Bill fixes the pay and staffing levels for the rest of the Budget Year and WFPPA is targeting the next Budget Year. Is that correct?
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When we talk about higher pay of fast food workers we shouldn’t forget that if you die doing something heroic for minimum wage on a fire, there’s a chance an actor or actress will be paid millions for a 2-hour movie telling the story.
Be careful out here.
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What’s this I hear about OT counting towards retirement with the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act? I wasn’t around for the Forest Service FAM meeting. Just some interesting things from hear say.
I also heard that there was potential for us all to get a GS grade increase. Maybe people are misinterpreting this information. Can anyone confirm any of this information. Maybe some union reps if you are available.
Keep fighting folks and writing to your congress people. A few more months until the finish line. Make sure your voices are heard loud and clear.
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Anyone get there classification changed yet or still 0462? Seems like it went quiet
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Can only speak to FS we had a call yesterday mostly focused on GS11-14 since they have the only PD’s ready to switch over to the new series. In the call they mentioned that the switch for GS2-GS10 wouldn’t be completed until FY25 or even calendar year 25. But they did say it’s only a choice you make and it serves no other purpose than what you’re called at work IE no pay attached to it.
There was questions asked that since DOI bumped up some of their positions a GS is FS doing the same and on the call they said “no, that’s not something we are doing, again this is just a title change.”
Staying a 462 doesn’t effect any pay supplement we are getting and unless congress adds in verbiage about only 0456 get a pay raise if they even pass that bill.
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Where have you gone Joe?
Washington, D.C. Office
2400 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2161
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That’s great for those who live in govt housing but does nothing for the rest of them
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Is there any sort of timeframe on when we will hear back on the appropriation bill that was just proposed?
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Status reports of several proposed Federal firefighter pay Acts of Congress, in no particular order. Some of these are competing versions of the same general initiative.
A No Show. Call it stalling or whining, prospects for passage or any action at all, on any of them, by this Congress look slim and I think most of the public are just assuming this all has to wait until after November. Maybe, somebody up there in the lobby knows more.
Legislative Search Results | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Small beer.
Q: What’s so big about no-shows in the private sector for EU/CWN and supportive goods and services?
A: Order fulfillment success rates. This is a metric where stalling, whining and squeezing can backfire on you.
For example; if your order fulfillment success rate, after returns and do-overs, is 80% at 20 employees, and 98% at 18 employees, the loss due to having an undependable rating may outweigh the loss of margin by taking 5% fewer or smaller orders.
A business can be healthier, more successful and even growing at 18 employees, rather than 20 employees, because the extra 2 might be chronic no-shows that are lowering your order success rate, after returns and do-overs, from 98% to 80%, and this might result in a bigger loss than lowering your order taking plan by 5% and letting the 2 no-shows go.
Ergo, even in a labor market with sufficient demand, an employer might easily decide that lowering their order taking plan by 5%, letting 2 no-shows go, and seeing their order fulfillment success rate go from 80% to 98% is the smart way to go, particularly in an industry or economic sector that places a premium on dependability.
Rack 'em.
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On July 9th the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Not an expert on where the act goes next, however I am sure there will be several more steps, maybe a few twist and turns before this becomes law.
The act creates a firefighter pay scale to replace the BIL retention payments to firefighters. The act also creates a daily stipend for emergency responders when committed to a wildland fire or RX incident while in official travel status. The daily stipend is based on an employee’s hourly pay x 450% and shall not exceed $9,000 annually.
This information can be found at the link.
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