The new laws of California increase the pay for prisoners of firefighters

From Kayla MihalovichCalmness

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

Governor Gavin Newsom today has signed a set of bills designed to recognize prisoners of firefighters, including a historical measure to raise their pay to meet the federal minimum wage during active fires.

Increasing salaries funded through the 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.

State legislators presented a seven Boyan Freedom Package this year to protect the prisoners of the firefighters and to support the opportunities for work in their re -introduction. Today, five of these bills were signed in the law, marking the most comprehensive changes to the prisoners of the country’s history.

Firefighters with prisoners have previously earned between $ 5.80 and $ 10.24 a day, according to the California Department of correction and rehabilitation. During active emergencies, Cal Fire pays them an additional $ 1 per hour. Now they will earn $ 7.25 an hour when they are on fire.

The sport of the assembly Isaac Brian, a Democrat from the city of Culver, who is the author of the bill, said that the Californians should feel proud of the feeling of moral clarity that crossed the party lines.

“It’s a historical and important day,” Brian said. “The governor who signs the bill is an incredibly powerful reminder that all work is worthy and anyone who is ready to put their lives on the line deserves our gratitude.”

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 was opposite by the California Sheriffs Association of concerns about its potential fiscal impact on cities that administer prisons and can also face pressure to increase the pay for free labor.

He received bilateral support from nearly two dozen lawmakers.

“A few years ago, when I worked for Cal Fire, you never saw men work harder than with these crews,” said the assembly member Heath Flora of a legislative hearing in September, a Republican from Ripon, co-authored the bill. “There is no system – no program – better than fire camps with Cal Fire and California.”

Brian presented the bill after the voters last year rejected a vote measure that would end with forced labor in prisons and prisons. This would amend the state’s constitution to cancel the language, which allows involuntary service as a form of criminal punishment, doing work tasks voluntarily.

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. They are voluntary tasks.

More than 1800 deprived firefighters live all year round in minimum security bearings, also known as “fire bearings”, located in 25 counties in California, according to the adjustment department. These numbers have declined in recent years due to the declining population of prisons.

Two of the proposals did not go, including one, which would require Cal Fire to create more opportunities for incidental firefighters to provide jobs for fire after their release. The proposal, Assembly Bill 1380He didn’t get to Newsom.

It was disappointing to the Royal Ramey, a former incident firefighter who co -founded the non -profit forestry organization and fire program for fires that sponsored the measure. But he said the other five bills signed by Newsom are “tremendous progress.”

“For me, moving from a career fire camp was one of the most difficult challenges in my life and I know too many people who have never had this chance,” Rami said. “With these laws we can change this story.”

The Bills Newsom package signed:

• Assembly A assembly 247: Requires prisoners to pay $ 7.25 per hour while actively fighting a fire.
• A assembly Bill 799: Requires the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation to pay the death compensation of $ 50,000 for the death of a prisoner, a firefighter.
• Assembly Bill 812: Requires the correction department to create provisions surrounding the prisoners of firefighters to resent.
• Assembly Bill 952: Requires the adjustment department to create and expand the pilot program of the Youth Criminal Program as a permanent program.
• Senate Bill 245: Optimizes and speeds up the exhaustion process of former deprived firefighters.

“It is incredible to see that the legislature has seriously taken the issue of protecting incidental firefighters,” says Angel Vargas, CEO of the non -profit organization, initiates the actions of Justice, which sponsors most of the bills. “It’s time that California has started to treat them with more respect and dignity.”

Assembly member Sad Elhavari, a Democrat from Los Angeles, who is the author of the Law on the Establishment and Expansion of the Youth Pilot Program, said it was an opportunity for the 13 other states who closed firefighters to “follow in the steps of California.”

“I hope this is the beginning of what will be a national movement to enhance the rights and opportunities for incidental firefighters,” she said. “All these people deserve more love and support.”

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