This past week on Capitol Hill, a team of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) wildland firefighters was lobbying the U.S. House of Representatives congressional offices. The NFFE-IAM union represents about 10,000 wildland firefighters.
The team was informing Congressional officials about the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, fire, which would make last year’s pay raises permanent for wildland firefighters. The deadline is coming quickly and if no action is taken by the end of September, money for wildland firefighter pay will likely run out in October. If Congress can’t act by the end of the month, it is expected that somewhere between a third and an half of federal wildland firefighters will quit within the following year.