Latest news with #NFFE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Unions launch Rise Up legal defense network for federal workers fired under Trump
A network of federal employee unions and legal groups launched a legal defense group to provide counsel to thousands of government workers recently fired by the Trump administration. Deemed Rise Up, the program will recruit lawyers to provide pro bono legal help to scores of federal workers. 'Federal workers' unions and allied organizations are already fighting back in court, but thousands of federal workers still need individual legal advice and representation. Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network will mobilize and train thousands of lawyers to provide pro bono legal guidance to federal workers,' the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal government union, wrote in a statement announcing the program. The Trump administration has fired thousands of employees still in their probationary period — a timeline that can stretch from one to two years depending on the agency. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has also directed agencies to embark on reductions in force, which would mean wide-scale government layoffs. Agencies faced a deadline earlier this week to send their plans for these reductions to the OMB. 'It is critical that federal workers have access to legal recourse as the Trump administration threatens and unlawfully terminates hundreds of thousands of proud civil servants,' National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) President Randy Erwin said in a statement. 'We are incredibly grateful for the attorneys and allies in our communities who stand with federal workers delivering essential services to the American people.' Rise Up includes platforms both for fired federal workers and volunteer lawyers who will 'receive training to assist workers in need of support.' In addition to federal employee unions the AFGE and NFFE, the AFL-CIO, Democracy Forward, the National Treasury Employees Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the American Constitution Society, and the Partnership for Public Service, among others, are supporting the program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal firefighters secure permanent pay raises in spending bill
Federal wildland firefighters secured a permanent pay raise Friday after years of waiting for Congress to answer their plea. Included in the spending bill approved by Congress is a new pay scale and incident-response premium pay, which would apply to employees assigned to active fires. The bill next goes to President Donald Trump to sign into law. The new pay scale means firefighters will keep their temporary pay raises of either $20,000 annually or 50% of their base salary, enacted in 2021 under the Biden administration. Firefighters will not be eligible for premium pay for fires contained within 36 hours. The pay will be calculated at 450% of their hourly base rate for each day a firefighter is on an active fire and will be limited to a total of $9,000 in any calendar year. This marks the first time federal firefighters will get paid for the hours they rest and sleep while away from home, which is standard practice in most municipal and state departments. 'For years, our union and NFFE members have fought tirelessly for a lasting pay solution for federal wildland firefighters,' Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees union, said in a statement. 'Now, that fight is paying off,' he added. 'A permanent pay fix means we can shift our focus to addressing other critical issues — recruitment and retention, housing, mental health benefits, rest and recuperation, and the overall well-being of our nation's wildland firefighting workforce.' The pay bump comes as federal firefighters recover from cuts to their ranks after the Agriculture Department, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, reinstated more than 5,000 probationary employees who had been fired in February. At least 2,000 of them had primary or secondary firefighting duties, according to the NFFE. The order to reinstate the employees earlier this week originated from a federal civil service board ruling, which found the mass firings may have been unlawful. The ruling directed the USDA to restore employees to their jobs for at least 45 days with back pay. On Thursday, a federal judge in California ordered more departments - including Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury - to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were terminated in February. But what comes next is unclear. The Trump administration set a March 13 deadline for all federal agencies to submit reorganization plans to initiate 'large-scale reductions in force.' Those cuts could include federal firefighters. 'We didn't expect it to be this way,' said Steve Gutierrez, an NFFE union representative. 'I'd love to celebrate, but I don't want to do it if people are still losing their jobs and and these guys might get cut loose later on.' The uncertainty has already taken its toll on the Forest Service. Last month, Chief Randy Moore, the first Black man to take the helm, resigned after more than 45 years with the Forest Service. In his retirement note to staff, Moore said he felt the full burden of current political tides. 'If you are feeling uncertainty, frustration, or loss, you are not alone,' he wrote. 'These are real and valid emotions that I am feeling, too.' The resignations continued this week when top foresters who oversaw forests in California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota stepped down effective March 28, according to the NFFE. The forest supervisor of the Angeles National Forest, which was recently battered by the deadly Eaton Fire, also resigned. This article was originally published on
NBC News
14-03-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Federal firefighters secure permanent pay raises in spending bill
Federal wildland firefighters secured a permanent pay raise Friday after years of waiting for Congress to answer their plea. Included in the spending bill approved by Congress is a new pay scale and incident-response premium pay, which would apply to employees assigned to active fires. The bill next goes to President Donald Trump to sign into law. The new pay scale means firefighters will keep their temporary pay raises of either $20,000 annually or 50% of their base salary, enacted in 2021 under the Biden administration. Firefighters will not be eligible for premium pay for fires contained within 36 hours. The pay will be calculated at 450% of their hourly base rate for each day a firefighter is on an active fire and will be limited to a total of $9,000 in any calendar year. This marks the first time federal firefighters will get paid for the hours they rest and sleep while away from home, which is standard practice in most municipal and state departments. 'For years, our union and NFFE members have fought tirelessly for a lasting pay solution for federal wildland firefighters,' Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees union, said in a statement. 'Now, that fight is paying off,' he added. 'A permanent pay fix means we can shift our focus to addressing other critical issues — recruitment and retention, housing, mental health benefits, rest and recuperation, and the overall well-being of our nation's wildland firefighting workforce.' The pay bump comes as federal firefighters recover from cuts to their ranks after the Agriculture Department, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, reinstated more than 5,000 probationary employees who had been fired in February. At least 2,000 of them had primary or secondary firefighting duties, according to the NFFE. The order to reinstate the employees earlier this week originated from a federal civil service board ruling, which found the mass firings may have been unlawful. The ruling directed the USDA to restore employees to their jobs for at least 45 days with back pay. On Thursday, a federal judge in California ordered more departments - including Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury - to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were terminated in February. But what comes next is unclear. The Trump administration set a March 13 deadline for all federal agencies to submit reorganization plans to initiate 'large-scale reductions in force.' Those cuts could include federal firefighters. 'We didn't expect it to be this way,' said Steve Gutierrez, an NFFE union representative. 'I'd love to celebrate, but I don't want to do it if people are still losing their jobs and and these guys might get cut loose later on.' The uncertainty has already taken its toll on the Forest Service. Last month, Chief Randy Moore, the first Black man to take the helm, resigned after more than 45 years with the Forest Service. In his retirement note to staff, Moore said he felt the full burden of current political tides. 'If you are feeling uncertainty, frustration, or loss, you are not alone,' he wrote. 'These are real and valid emotions that I am feeling, too.' The resignations continued this week when top foresters who oversaw forests in California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota stepped down effective March 28, according to the NFFE. The forest supervisor of the Angeles National Forest, which was recently battered by the deadly Eaton Fire, also resigned.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal employees react to Trump memo ordering more cuts
The Brief Wednesday's memo was sent to dept. and agency heads ordering to prepare for large-scale reductions Plans for the reductions are due March 13. A second phase comes in April with implementation this fall Trump's DOGE, led by Musk have already cut tens of thousands of federal workers' jobs OAKLAND, Calif. - The memo from the Trump administration was sent out Wednesday to all department and agency heads with orders to prepare to "initiate large-scale reductions" in their workforce and submit plans by March 13th. The plans for a "reduction in force" or RIF would be the first phase of eliminating positions from the government. It is the latest move by President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, who brandished a chainsaw at a recent public appearance as a symbolic gesture. Musk and his department have imposed sweeping cuts that have already led to tens of thousands of federal workers being laid off or asked to leave. The Department of Government Efficiency's website is posting the data online and on Musk's own X social media company. The Wednesday memo follows a chaotic weekend, when workers received an email from an unknown server, with President Trump and Musk telling federal workers to list five tasks they worked on. Musk and President Trump threatened that anyone who did not reply could face termination. "Well, it's somewhat voluntary, but it's also if you don't answer, I guess you get fired," Trump said. "That's not legal. There are certain avenues within civil service protection laws that management must follow if they want to end the employment of a federal employee," said Yvette Piacsek, general counsel with the National Federation of Federal Employees. Piacsek says the NFFE union has more than 100,000 members, ranging from employees in the Department of Defense, Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Forest Service, Passport Service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. NFFE already is joining other federal unions to fight the layoffs and Musk's access to federal databases, through lawsuits and filing of mass grievances. "By dismantling the government," Piacsek said, "they are undermining Congress's order to make sure Americans are met with certain services." Wednesday's memo does exclude President Trump's office, as well as certain departments and agencies, including themilitary, law enforcement, national security, border security, immigration, and the U.S. Postal Service. Among Americans, there is uncertainty and differing opinions about the impact of Musk's massive federal layoffs. "I think many of us feel the federal government is too big. We can't support it with the amount of revenue we have. In general, I'm supportive of reducing the size of the federal government," Mike Brossmer of Santa Rosa said. "I just feel like it's going to be a sad domino effect, that once you get rid of this position and that position, it's going to be chaos. Just people missing, things getting backed up," Danita Aaron of Oakland said. The memo says a second phase requires plans to be submitted on April 14, showing how each department would consolidate management and resources. The plans would be implemented by September 30.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Hiring Freeze Throws Wildfire Fighters Into Disarray
(Bloomberg) -- Federal firefighters have found their jobs on the chopping block as a result of US President Donald Trump's executive orders, with a hiring freeze simultaneously blocking reinforcements in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires and ahead of the upcoming fire season. Why American Mobility Ground to a Halt Saudi Arabia's Neom Signs $5 Billion Deal for AI Data Center SpaceX Bid to Turn Texas Starbase Into City Is Set for Vote in May Cutting Arena Subsidies Can Help Cover Tax Cuts, Think Tank Says Can Portland Turn a Corner? 'I know multiple people who were supposed to start work on Monday and were not able to,' said Rachel Granberg, a firefighter who serves as representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), in an interview this week. A US District Court judge on Wednesday cleared the way for Trump's buyout offers to millions of federal employees, overcoming a lawsuit by labor unions. Granberg warned that without an exemption to the Trump administration's widespread hiring freeze, 'we're not going to have fire crews fully staffed.' Potential reductions to the approximately 18,000 federal firefighters, who are trained to battle blazes deep inside forests as well as at the intersection of cities and nature, would come at a time when their work has never been more crucial. Rising temperatures are contributing to faster-burning fires and ensuring blazes occur more frequently and torch more land. Climate change has also extended the burning season by two months in the US since the 1970s. Yet the ranks of firefighters haven't increased, and now reinforcements aren't on the way. The union representing federal firefighters said that job offers have been withdrawn due to the hiring freeze.'The LA fires may have had less destruction if the proper crews were fully staffed,' said Pat Bouman, a former federal firefighter who is now a member of the New York City Fire Department, referring to highly specialized 'hot shot' crews employed by the government. 'It's a wildly risky move to invite your firefighter workforce to leave in February, a few weeks before you expect fire season to ramp up,' said Rob Arnold, a union representative with NFFE. Federal firefighters are spread out across five agencies: the US Forest Service, which is part of the Department of Agriculture, as well as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fish and Wildlife Service, which are part of the Interior Department. Crews from these agencies move around the country as fire hotspots shift throughout the year. For the US Southwest, fire season ramps up next month. 'Wildland firefighting positions are considered public safety positions,' said a spokesperson for the Forest Service, adding that the agency is working with the Office of Personnel Management on the wildland firefighting positions. A spokesperson for the Interior Department said it 'continues to review funding decisions to be consistent with the President's Executive Orders.' Past federal hiring freezes have exempted firefighters. In a round of government job cuts in 2017, during the first Trump administration, firefighters weren't affected. This time is different, although the consequences of the 60-day freeze that started on Jan. 20 remain unclear. 'There is a lot of confusion,' Granberg said. About half of all federal firefighters are currently employed as full-time workers, according to Granberg, while the other half are seasonal hires. Granberg herself is impacted by the freeze: She's been a seasonal federal firefighter for the past 10 years and is a squad boss who manages helicopter crews. Because her paperwork needs to be renewed every year, her usual March start date is in limbo. US Senator Adam Schiff, a Democratic from California, wrote a letter on Feb. 7 asking for an exemption for firefighters and 'to stop encouraging firefighters to resign,' noting that they had been deployed to stop the Los Angeles fires. Firefighters on the job described thinning ranks even before the hiring freeze. 'Right now is the time of the year that the agencies are finalizing hiring and bringing people on,' said Alex Pawelczyk, a dispatcher for the US Forest Service and a representative for the NFFE. 'The few of us that are left are so stretched thin, people could be at risk.' 'Staffing levels are the No. 1 risk to firefighter safety,' he added. 'You burn people out, they don't operate safely.' Warner Vanderheuel, another union representative and a battalion chief with more than two decades of experience, said worker exhaustion has already prompted what he described as mass resignations. 'We have employees who are supposed to start in March,' he said. 'I don't know if they have a job.' For the majority of firefighters, who serve local communities, specialized training for wildland and urban-interface fires isn't provided. The International Association of Fire Fighters offers a class that costs $50,000 a course. Currently, funding for the training comes from grants and appropriations at the federal, state and local level. The hiring freeze isn't the only new setback for federal firefighters. Retention pay originally made available by former President Joe Biden's administration to boost firefighter salaries is set to lapse in March. The loss of that money would cut compensation by as much as $20,000 per person. For Keith Kelly, a Forest Service employee and member of the NFFE union, the loss of that cash would be 'catastrophic.' He and his wife are both federal firefighters who met on the job and have two children under the age of three. He's now trying to figure out how they will manage childcare costs if they lose it. 'That's where all of our cash goes,' he said. --With assistance from Max Rivera. Elon Musk's DOGE Is a Force Americans Can't Afford to Ignore The Game Changer: How Ely Callaway Remade Golf How Oura's Smart Ring Bridged the Gap From Tech Bros to Normies How Silicon Valley Swung From Obama to Trump Japan Perfected 7-Eleven. Why Can't the US Get It Right? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
