CAL Fire Fighters Could See More Money And Less Hours
Sacramento, CA– California state firefighters could potentially get three raises and fewer hours all within the next year as part of a tentative contract with Governor Gain Newsom’s administration.
The contract would give CalFire firefighters a retroactive raise of 2.5% starting from July 1st, 2022, plus an additional 2% on January 1st, 2023, and a 2% raise on July 1st, 2023. Shifts would be reduced from an average of 72 hours per shift to 66 hours.
Tim Edwards, President of Local 2811, the CalFire union pushing for this change, explains, “We have to start making home life the priority to the men and women of CalFire, and not work life. If you’re working 72 hours and running multiple calls, and you don’t have time to rejuvenate and decompress from what you’ve seen and saw, it’s going to stick in your head.”
If the contract is approved the agreement would increase state spending by $126 million per year starting in 2024. The union feels this tentative contract could help with staffing shortages and further incentivize personnel to stay with CalFire. Also of note, this contract would increase the per-month stipend of health insurance by $260 per month, increase longevity stipends, and a reduction to the contributions made toward retirement health insurance.
