SACRAMENTO, California — California lawmakers on Wednesday defended a proposal to shorten state firefighters’ hours and hire more of them despite legislative analysts’ recommendation to reconsider because the shift would cost so much in a down budget year.
“The legislature is willing to support a substantial funding increase at a very difficult time, when millions of constituents are going to be unhappy with the cuts that we’re going to be making,” said Assemblymember Steve Bennett, a Ventura Democrat and chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation.
Cal Fire 2881, the union for most state firefighters, has for decades sought to decrease the standard Cal Fire workweek from 72 to 66 hours. The campaign gained traction as the increase in catastrophic wildfires fueled in part by climate change has added stress and harmed the health and well-being of firefighters.
“This last decade has been unbelievable in terms of loss of lives, loss of property. It’s been very tragic and very hard on the firefighters,” Aaron Reed of Cal Fire Local 2881, the union representing most state firefighters, told lawmakers at Wednesday’s budget hearing.
