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Governor Newsom Vetoes Bill to Raise Cal Fire Salaries After Major Wildfires
Governor Newsom vetoed a bill to raise Cal Fire wages by up to 29%, citing state budget pressures and concerns over collective bargaining, despite broad legislative support.
- On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1309, a bipartisan measure to raise CAL FIRE wages within 15% of the average for ranks at 20 local fire departments.
- A 2023 California Department of Human Resources report found CAL FIRE lagged local departments by 87.5%, with entry-level pay at $54,122 versus $85,315 in Los Angeles, amid nearly 40,000 acres burned.
- A State Assembly analysis estimated the bill would cost between $373 million and $609 million in its first year, and Newsom wrote, "While I appreciate the author's intent, this bill would create significant cost pressures for the state and circumvent the collective bargaining process."
- Tim Edwards, president of Local 2881, said the veto was highly disappointing the day before the six fallen firefighters memorial, and union members warned it will hinder CAL FIRE recruitment efforts despite the recruitment drive.
- A parallel bill, Assembly Bill 247 , would increase pay for incarcerated firefighters amid debates over wages after at least $250 billion in damage from recent fires.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Career Expo Invites Youth to Explore Cal Fire Careers as Department Seeks Growth | News Channel 3-12
Luis Medina INDIO, Calif. (KUNA) – CAL FIRE is looking to bolster its ranks as the threat of wildfires increases in California. To achieve this, a collaboration between CAL FIRE and the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) is underway in Indio to expose hundreds of high school seniors to potential careers in firefighting. The job expo follows Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of Assembly Bill 1309, which would have increased wages for CAL FIRE…
Hanford Sentinel
Newsom vetoes bill to close Cal Fire pay gap over collective bargaining concerns
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have increased the salaries of California firefighters, to put their compensation closer to what local municipalities pay their own firefighters, for the same reason he has axed similar legislation related to state…
Newsom Vetoes Bipartisan Bill to Raise Fire Firefighter Salaries After Wildfires
Is there anything more American than a firefighter? They are the people who run headlong into chaos while every sane person runs out. Covered in... The post Newsom Vetoes Bipartisan Bill to Raise Fire Firefighter Salaries After Wildfires appeared first on Patriot Journal.
Newsom Vetoes Firefighter Pay Raise After Deadly Wildfire
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have raised salaries for California’s Cal Fire firefighters, despite the state battling the most expensive wildfire in its history just months earlier. Assembly Bill 1309 proposed aligning Cal Fire pay within 15% of the average compensation of 20 comparable municipal fire agencies across the state. Entry-level Cal Fire firefighters currently earn about $54,122 annually, while new hires in…
Newsom vetoes raises for state firefighters months after California’s most expensive inferno
California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would grant state firefighters pay raises months after the most expensive wildfires in state history took over Los Angeles.
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