Federal wildland firefighters have finally received a permanent pay raise after years of waiting for Congress to act. This comes as part of a spending bill approved by Congress, including a new pay scale and incident-response premium pay for firefighters assigned to active fires. The pay increase means firefighters will keep their temporary raises of $20,000 annually or 50% of their base salary. They will also receive premium pay for active fires, calculated at 450% of their hourly base rate, up to $9,000 per year.
This marks the first time federal firefighters will be paid for their hours of rest and sleep while away from home, a standard practice in municipal and state departments. The pay increase is seen as a victory by the National Federation of Federal Employees union, which has been advocating for fair compensation for federal wildland firefighters for years.
However, the future of federal firefighters remains uncertain, as the Trump administration set a deadline for agencies to submit reorganization plans that could lead to large-scale reductions in force. Thousands of probationary employees who were terminated in February have been ordered to be reinstated, but there are concerns that cuts to federal firefighters could still be on the horizon.
The uncertainty has led to resignations within the Forest Service, including Chief Randy Moore and several top foresters overseeing various regions. The impact of potential cuts on the firefighting workforce is a source of concern among union representatives, who fear for the future of federal firefighters in the face of ongoing political turmoil.
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