April 24 2024
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is commending members of Parliament serving on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) for their unanimous support of equity for Forest, or Wildland, firefighters.
The MPs voted to advance a critical motion to correct an egregious error in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) where they belong and properly and explicitly classify these workers under the Firefighter category. The motion received cross-party support, and it now has been tabled in Parliament. We are looking for a rapid response from the government.
Bert Blundon, President of NUPGE, welcomed the unanimous support:
“We’ve met with MPs on the public safety committee, but also from regions across the country affected by wildfires. It’s encouraging to see that MPs from the Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party, the NDP and the Liberal Party are all in support of fairness for Forest/Wildland firefighters. On behalf of NUPGE members, we thank the MPs for working together to do the right thing for these first responders. We hope the unanimous consent from the Public Safety and National Security Committee will prompt the House of Commons to act quickly on their colleagues’ recommendation.”
The immense risks Forest/Wildland firefighters take to protect their fellow Canadians have become more evident as people experience more frequent and increasingly severe wildfires in their communities.
“It shouldn’t have taken this long, but we can now do the right thing and properly classify these workers, so they can receive the protections and benefits they need and deserve,” Blundon said.
As the country prepares for another challenging wildfire season, NUPGE is urging the federal government to correct the unjust treatment of the workers we increasingly rely on in these emergencies.
More information:
NDP fighting to improve wildfire firefighters’ pensions and retirement
Conservatives Call For Fair Treatment For Forest Firefighters