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May 17, 2006
State firefighters agree to contract extension
Negotiators for Gov. Schwarzenegger have reached a tentative agreement with the State firefighters union (bargaining unit 8) on a two-year contract extension that provides much-needed pay adjustments for the States seasonal firefighters.
The agreement, which must go to the Legislature and union members for ratification, will increase compensation for seasonal firefighters by roughly 17-20 percent. (The State hires anywhere from 800 to 1,200 seasonal firefighters each year during fire season.) This increase is accomplished by reducing their work shift from 96 to 72 hours a week, raising the hourly rate used to calculate overtime pay. Specifically:
The hourly rate for seasonal firefighters will rise from $8.62/hr. to $9.09/hr.
These employees will qualify for time-and-a-half when they work more than 53 hours in a workweek. This moves seasonal firefighters to the same planned overtime shift pattern used for other firefighting personnel.
In addition, about 135 employees in the bargaining unit who are covered by a 40-hour workweek will receive a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment1.
The cost of these increases will be offset by a reduction in the work shift (from 84 to 72 hours) for newly hired battalion chiefs, with a corresponding reduction in overtime pay. There will be no change in pay for current battalion chiefs, nor for the vast majority of the 5,500 employees in this bargaining unit.
Health and pension benefits remain the same.
The current firefighters contract expires June 30, 2006. With this extension, the agreement runs through June 30, 2008.
1 This provision applies to the following civil service classifications: Forestry Field Trainee; Forestry Assistant I and II; Forestry Technician; Forestry Aide; Air Operations Officer I, II, and III; Air Operations Officer I, II, and III (managerial); Fire Prevention Officer I and II; Forester I (non-supervisory); Fire Prevention Assistant; Fire Prevention Specialist I and II; and Forestry Logistics Officer I.
DPA creates and administers compensation, benefits, training programs, and the classification plan, and advocates for the interests of the State employer.
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