Senate Committee Passes Bill to Fully Fund Wildland Firefighter Pay

 

From the AFL-CIO:

Top Cut:
The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), affiliated with the Machinists (IAM), is celebrating a major win as the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed the fiscal year 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which protects current funding for federal wildland firefighter pay.

Why It Matters:
The bill helps support the critical wildland firefighting workforce by funding wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts, protecting agency staffing levels so they can be prepared for the upcoming wildfire season, maintaining pay increases for federal firefighters and investing in the U.S. Forest Service.

“This is a significant development for NFFE members and all federal wildland firefighters,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “For months, these selfless men and women have had to live with the possibility of their pay being cut in half overnight. Many NFFE members have traveled to Washington, DC, contacted their representatives, and done everything they can to advocate for the compensation they deserve by protecting the country on the front lines of the wildfire crisis. Today, their efforts have been recognized and Congress has delivered on their obligations for this year’s fire season.”