The union representing more than 1,800 wildland firefighter service members in B.C. is urging the province to improve their working conditions amid a “recruitment and retention crisis.”
The BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) has launched an online petition asking Forests Minister Bruce Ralston to overhaul the compensation system and increase wages, offer wildland firefighters the same pension as other public safety responders, and fix outstanding payroll delays.
The call comes as the province grapples with its worst wildfire season on record in terms of the amount of land burned — more than 1.5 million hectares.
“There are over 360 forest fires across B.C. right now, making it an extremely dangerous time for our brave firefighters,” reads the petition, which has attracted more than 1,600 signatures.
“We need to do more to support wildland firefighters — they are putting their lives on the line to protect our communities from devastating fires, but they are doing it for the low wage of around $29 per hour.”
Ralston did not provide an interview for this story, only a brief written statement past deadline. He pointed to recent investments in wildfire prevention and response, and noted that the BC Wildfire Service is now transitioning to become a year-round operation.
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“This critical work is underway, but there’s more to do as we continue to respond to record wildfire seasons here in B.C.,” he wrote.
“I met very recently with senior representatives of the BCGEU and will continue to work with all our partners to support wildland firefighter recruitment, retention and training, and to ensure every BC Wildfire Service member is supported in their work.”
Global News has reached out to the BC Wildfire Service as well.
According to the BCGEU, the average wildland firefighter earns between $27 and $29 per hour, with the bulk of their pay coming in the form of overtime.
“That’s creating a lot of burnout. It also means that there isn’t really a long-term career pathway for many people,” union treasurer Paul Finch told Global News.
“So we’re seeing 20-year firefighters with knowledge and experience leave for entry-level structural firefighting jobs or other jobs in other areas that can better sustain them and their families.”
That can have “dangerous” implications, Finch added, as firefighters with less experience must sometimes take on more advanced tasks than they’re prepared for, such as incident command.
Last year, the BCGEU inked a new deal with the government’s BC Public Service Agency.
Finch said the union is satisfied with what it negotiated for entry-level service members, but it wasn’t able to push the employer for an overhaul that would better reward the most experienced wildland firefighters.
“We need to get more public awareness … so that if we’re not able to fix this and right now, we can at least gain the public support necessary to fix this in the next round of bargaining,” Finch said.
Payroll services, meanwhile, haven’t able to keep up with all of the retroactive pay increases included in the deal, meaning that some on the frontlines of the wildfire crisis are still owed a chunk of change.
Finch said the BCGEU plans to present its open petition letter to the legislative assembly at the end of the fire season.
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