US firefighters might walk over 支払う／賃金 削減（する）s as wildfire 関心s grow
Firefighters 直面する '支払う／賃金 cliff' as 連邦の cash runs 乾燥した，日照りの
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Up to half of 連邦の 全労働人口 could やめる, 公式の／役人s say
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Biden admin calls for more 永久の 直す／買収する，八百長をする for 支払う／賃金 問題／発行するs
By David Sherfinski
RICHMOND, Virginia, July 13 (Thomson Reuters 創立／基礎) - W ith wildfire season 進行中で in the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs, the 連邦の 政府 is 直面するing a 可能性のある exodus of wildland firefighters over a major 支払う／賃金 削減（する） that could kick in by the autumn.
基金ing in 大統領 Joe Biden's 2021 組織／基盤／下部構造 法律 gave a 一時的な 支払う／賃金 上げる to thousands of firefighters on the 気候 frontlines - but the money is 始める，決める to run out in the coming months, which could 押し進める many to やめる, 専門家s 警告する.
"I honestly think at least a third could go within a 事柄 of months," said Steve Lenkart, (n)役員／(a)執行力のある director of the 国家の 連合 of 連邦の 従業員s (NFFE) union.
"It would be really 破滅的な for the country."
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has about 10,775 wildland firefighters - 95% of its goal of 11,300 for 2023 - and the 内部の Department - which manages 連邦の and 部族の lands - has over 5,400 such 職員／兵員, the 最新の 公式の／役人 data shows.
While total 人物／姿／数字s are difficult to pin 負かす／撃墜する, the 連邦の 政府 is 概算の to be the largest 雇用者 of career wildland firefighters in the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs.
Any 削減, though, would 構内／化合物 a growing labor and 気候 危機, as 任期d firefighters 出発／死 連邦の 機関s for other 職業s, and 気候 change 燃料s hotter, drier 条件s that 増加する the 危険 of out-of-支配（する）／統制する 炎s.
FIREFIGHTERS 'STILL FED UP' DESPITE TEMPORARY PAY BOOST
Rachel Granberg, a wildland firefighter based in Washington 明言する／公表する with eight years of experience, has already seen 多重の 同僚s leave their 職業s in the last year or so.
"Even with the 組織／基盤／下部構造 money, they were still fed up - and one of the guys had been fighting 解雇する／砲火／射撃s for 19 years," said the 37-year-old, whose 声明s 反映するd her own opinions and not those of her 機関.
Although wildland firefighters welcomed the 一時的な 支払う／賃金 rise, many have been laboring for years for salaries which they say do not adequately 反映する the rigors of the work.
大統領 Biden took steps in 2021 to raise the 最小限 行う for 連邦の wildland firefighters to $15 per hour, after 非難するing the $13 per hour 率 some had been making as "ridiculously low."
分かれて, the 組織／基盤／下部構造 法律 also 含むd $600 million for 利益s for 連邦の wildland firefighters, 含むing 一時的な 支払う／賃金 rises of up to $20,000 per year, or 50% of their base salary - whichever was lower.
However, 連邦の 公式の／役人s 見積（る） that those 基金s could run out by the end of September - when this 連邦の 予算 year の近くにs - or 中央の-October.
Jaelith Hall-Rivera, a 副 長，指導者 at the USFS, said the いわゆる "支払う／賃金 cliff," coupled with 予算 削減（する）s like those 提案するd in the 共和国の／共和党の-controlled 衆議院, would be "pretty 壊滅的な" for the 解雇する／砲火／射撃 全労働人口.
"If we're not able to get a change in 支払う／賃金 status for our firefighters ... we're (going to) see many of them go to higher- 支払う／賃金ing 職業s where they can make a living 行う," she told 上院議員s at a 最近の 審理，公聴会.
"We are 審理，公聴会 from our firefighting union that we could lose 30 to 50% of our firefighti ng 全労働人口 in the Forest Service - that would be 破滅的な."
Hall-Rivera 証言するd at the same time Washington, D.C. was 取引，協定ing with very poor 空気／公表する 質 levels - a byproduct of 記録，記録的な／記録する wildfires that have 荒廃させるd Canada this year.
A USFS spokesperson said the 農業 department - which houses the forest 機関 - is committed to working with 議会 to pass a 永久の 支払う／賃金 解答.
"連邦の wildland firefighters must be 申し込む／申し出d 競争の激しい salaries and the 支払う／賃金 and 改善するd working 条件s they so deserve," the spokesperson said.
Lenkart of the NFFE said 連邦の wildland firefighters are leaving not only for 明言する／公表する and 地元の 解雇する／砲火／射撃 service 職業s, which can 申し込む／申し出 better 支払う／賃金 and working 条件s, but for other 部門s 含むing construction and even 急速な／放蕩な-food.
"Some are going to work, literally, at In-N-Out Burger because they can make 20 bucks an hour," he said.
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM ON CAPITOL HILL?
Even with the 支払う／賃金 削減（する）s ぼんやり現れるing, some groups who recently met with congressional staff on （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 Hill said they had the impression that 国会議員s would be able to find a 解答 - but 警告するd that the consequences of inaction would be 悲惨な.
Members of 議会 typically spend much of the summer away from Washington, leaving them scant time to strike a 取引，協定 before the new 予算 year starts in October.
Absent 活動／戦闘 from （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 Hill, "we're going to continue ... to see the best and brightest walk out the door," said Luke Mayfield, 大統領，／社長 of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters.
Brian Gold, a wildland firefighter in Colorado, said the pinch is really 存在 felt at 中央の-level field leadership - and lamented a 重要な brain and talent drain.
Some 問題／発行するs can be solved by 増加するing base 支払う／賃金, he said.
"But what's really 要求するd is a holistic approach to the 全労働人口 problem which is really 燃やすing out your labor 軍隊 by 要求するing them to work 大規模な 量s of overtime and be away from home for 大規模な periods of time," Gold 追加するd.
WORKING MORE, EARNING LESS
A 最近の 熟考する／考慮する from the University of Washington and the USFS Rocky Mountain 研究 駅／配置する 最高潮の場面d stark 不平等s in 支払う／賃金 and 利益s between 連邦の wildland firefighters and 明言する／公表する-level firefighters in four western 明言する／公表するs.
連邦の 補償（金） was on 普通の／平均（する） 40.5% lower than that of 明言する／公表する 機関s - even though 連邦の wildland firefighters spend an 普通の／平均（する） of 12 more days per season on more コンビナート／複合体 解雇する／砲火／射撃s, によれば the 研究, which 分析するd Washington 明言する／公表する, Oregon, California, and Colorado.
"連邦の firefighters are 一般に working more, 収入 いっそう少なく and (are) continuously exposed to hazard(s) and levels of 責任／義務 that are just not 相応した with what they're getting paid 親族 to some of these other 機関s," said Evan Pierce, co-author of the 報告（する）／憶測.
Biden's 2024 予算 提案 calls for extra firefighter 利益s such as a 永久の base-支払う／賃金 増加する and "賞与金 支払う／賃金" to better 補償する responders for the time they spend on 出来事/事件s - but these would have to 勝利，勝つ 是認 from 議会.
And even the 2024 提案するd 補償（金） 一括 代表するs a gap of up to about $8,184 in 普通の／平均（する） salary between 連邦の wildland firefighters and the 主要な 明言する／公表する 機関, the 最近の 報告（する）／憶測 設立する.
The USFS is aware that 連邦の 給料 have not kept pace with 明言する／公表する, 地元の, and 私的な firefighting groups in some parts of the country, the 機関's spokesperson said.
Mayfield of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters left the 連邦の 政府 several years ago after 18 years with the USFS - "for an 適切な時期 to have a livable and plannable income," he said.
By the end, Mayfield said he had been 取引，協定ing with 問題／発行するs linked to 不景気 and suicidal thoughts, and 解任するd that in conversations with more than half a dozen peers and 助言者s, almost everybody told him to go.
"One of my former superintendents, his 引用する to me was: 'Leave, Luke. Do you want to be me?'" Mayfield said. "And my other buddy was like: 'We spend all our time worrying about 退職 - nobody's worried about living. Get out'." (報告（する）／憶測ing by David Sherfinski; Editing by Megan Rowling and Kieran Guilbert. The Thomson Reuters 創立／基礎 is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters. Visit https://www.状況.news/)
