California is moving to pay deprived firefighters with a minimum wage

From Kayla MihalovichCalmness

This story was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

In a historical change in policy, California is moving to pay incidents federal firefighters minimum wage during active fires.

Increasing salaries funded through the new state budget follows years of advocacy to improve pay and labor conditions for free laborS These efforts gained new urgency after hundreds of deprived firefighters were in battle Deadly This hit Los Angeles in January.

Currently, the prisoners of prisoners earn between $ 5.80 and $ 10.24 a day, according to the California Department for adjustments and rehabilitation. During active emergencies, Cal Fire compensates for an additional $ 1 per hour.

This seems to be changing. Gavard Gavin Newo last week signed a new state budget With $ 10 million to pay for a prisoner of $ 7.25 per hour when they are on fire. This will enter into force on January 1, as long as the legislature adopts a bill to impose policy.

“This is the right thing to do and is long overdue,” said the Assembly member Isaac BrianDemocrat from the city of Culver, who is the author of the bill that will collect a firefighter. “It feels really beautiful and life is changing for people who have sacrificed to save others during their time, bearing responsibility for any harm they would cause in the past.”

Brian originally go to raise salaries For prisoners, firefighters up to $ 19 an hour, but settled on the federal minimum wage after negotiations for a budget. The bill, which received bilateral support from nearly two dozen legislators, was opposite by the California Sheriffs Association of concerns about its potential fiscal impact on cities.

“Let’s have a two -way moment in which we have a prisoner with a federal minimum wage – I think this is the best of who we are,” Brian said. “My colleagues on both sides of the path, with this specific effort, demonstrate what it really means to be California.”

Brian presented the bill after the voters last year rejected a vote measure that would end with forced labor in prisons and prisons. California deprived firefighters have long provided critical support for state, local and federal government agencies in response to various emergencies, including wild fires and floods.

More than 1800 deprived firefighters live year -round in minimum security bearings, also known as “fire camps”, located in 25 California, according to the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. These numbers have declined in recent years due to the declining population of prisons.

The increase in wages is a recognition of people fighting fires, said Katie Dixon, a policy and coordinator of the California Coalition Campaign for women prisoners, who supported Bryan’s bill.

“I feel like this is a value statement – by saying: we appreciate you, we honor you, we see you,” said Dixon.

Dixon dreamed of becoming a firefighter after spending two years on a hand crew while being prisoned. But despite her attempt to fight hundreds of fires, she found that the career path was not available for her when she was released from prison in 2012 because of her criminal record.

“I felt like a dream deposited. A dream that was cut off due to systemic policies designed to keep people like me – black people – from certain professions,” Dixon said. “Deep down, I have to be the chief of the battalion.”

Both condition and Federal Laws have been introduced this year to try and Pipeline For prisoners, people land in the firefighter career after being released.

US repetitions. Sydney Kamlager-Sovi and Judy Chu, both of California presented a bill that will Create national protection for prisoners of firefightersIncluding the same framework for clearing their records that would ease the barriers to employment.

“As we see the departments are negotiated, as we see that it is more difficult to hire and hold firefighters, why would you miss the opportunity like this to connect a pipeline that is trained in municipalities who need more firefighters?” Kamlager-Sovi. “At the end of the day, jobs and economic stability help us all.”

Kayla Mihalovic is California local news.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.