The NFFE Forest Service Council is once again making waves on Capitol Hill. After earning health care benefits for seasonal wildland firefighters in 2012, NFFE is now pushing for passage of the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (H.R. 533/S. 1120), a bill that would give temporary seasonal employees at the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other land management agencies a fair shot at career advancement.
The seasonal work of land management agencies is accomplished by a mix of permanent seasonal employees and temporary seasonal employees. Currently, regardless of how many seasons they serve, temporary employees cannot compete for permanent jobs under the merit promotion procedures available to other federal employees. This barrier to career advancement causes high attrition, leading to high training costs and a less capable and less safe workforce. It erodes our nation’s wildland firefighting and emergency response capabilities and does irreparable damage to morale.
Show your support for temp seasonals by signing out electronic letter!
The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act removes this barrier to the career advancement opportunities of long-serving temporary seasonal employees of land management agencies. It gives temporary employees the opportunity to compete for agency positions on an equal footing with other federal employees if they’ve worked over 4 seasons (at least 24 months of service time) and their performance was satisfactory. This provides long-serving temporary employees with opportunity and their employing agencies with better applicant pools.
The bill is a common-sense, good government reform with no direct costs and significant payoffs. In addition, the bill authorizes the direct placement of temporary employees who have successfully performed the same job for over 4 seasons (24 months) into vacant positions that are identical to their temporary positions (i.e., same duties, qualification requirements, and location). This ensures continuity of service and retention of experienced employees at a time when federal workers are retiring in droves.
The Forest Service Council has worked tirelessly to develop, introduce, and lobby this measure, but a gridlocked Congress has failed to act. That is, until now. A number of prominent elected officials from both sides of the aisle have joined together to cosponsor the bill. You can see a full list below.
We need to capitalize on this moment and get the Land Management Workforcef Flexbility Act the support it needs to become law. But we cannot do it alone – we will need you to make your voice count. Together we can deliver the change tens of thousands of temporary seasonal land management employees have earned.
Do your part and sign our letter today!
The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (H.R. 533/S. 1120) Co-Sponsors
Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1]
Rep Cartwright, Matt [PA-17]
Rep Cole, Tom [OK-4]
Rep Connolly, Gerald E. [VA-11]
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4]
Rep Duffy, Sean P. [WI-7]
Rep Huffman, Jared [CA-2]
Rep Lowenthal, Alan S. [CA-47]
Rep Miller, George [CA-11]
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8]
Rep Pearce, Stevan [NM-2]
Rep Pocan, Mark [WI-2]
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1]
Rep Simpson, Michael K. [ID-2]
Rep Young, Don [AK]
Sen Tester, Jon [MT]
Sen Mark Udall [CO]