NFFE-Backed Legislation Continues to Advance in Congress
Wednesday, June 17, 2015(National Federation of Federal Employees)
Today
Senator Jon Tester reintroduced the Land
Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA),
S. 1591, in the 114th Congress. This
common-sense measure would give long-serving
temporary seasonal employees in land management
agencies, including thousands of wildland
firefighters, the ability to compete for career
advancement using the same procedures that are
already available to other federal employees.
It would also waive age requirements that
currently prevent experienced temporary
seasonal firefighters from competing for
permanent positions for which they may be well
qualified. Roughly 10,000 employees on
temporary appointments at the Forest Service,
Land Management Bureau, National Park Service,
Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian Affairs
Bureau and Reclamation Bureau would be
affected.
This legislation has been a NFFE
priority for over five years. Beginning with a
Congressional hearing on the issue on June 30,
2010, NFFE has worked to build support for
reform and worked with stakeholders to develop
an approach with which everyone could agree.
Senator Tester has been there every step of the
way. He first introduced the LMWFA in the
112th Congress on September 20, 2012 and
introduced it in the 113th Congress as well.
The new bill has benefited greatly from
feedback from agencies and Congressional
staffers too numerous to acknowledge here. It
is tight, solid, and ready for
passage.
The next step for the bill is passing
through the Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee. Senator Johnson,
Chairman of the HSGAC, has been very supportive
of the House version of the LMWFA and is
committed to working with Sen. Tester to
resolve any differences between the two
bills.
The biggest hurdle a bill
faces is being passed by Committee. The House
version of the LMWFA has strong bipartisan
support. It has already been unanimously
approved by the House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee,
clearing its way for passage by the full House.
With bipartisan support emerging in the Senate
as well, the chances for this long-overdue
reform to be accomplished have never been
better.
"Too many, including thousands of wildland firefighters, have been stuck for too long in dead-end jobs, not because of a lack of merit on their parts, but because of flawed regulations that do not recognize their years of service," said Mark Davis, Vice President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) and past President of the NFFE Forest Service Council, noting that many others leave and take their years of experience with them because of blocked career paths. "This common-sense reform honors and credits their service by giving them the same shot at career advancement that other federal employees have. We cannot thank Senator Tester enough for his tireless work on this good-government reform. In addition, our deepest thanks go out to Senator Johnson for reaching across the aisle and using his leadership position to advance the bill."
An estimated 10,000 temporary seasonal employees would benefit from the LMWFA
"Too many, including thousands of wildland firefighters, have been stuck for too long in dead-end jobs, not because of a lack of merit on their parts, but because of flawed regulations that do not recognize their years of service," said Mark Davis, Vice President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) and past President of the NFFE Forest Service Council, noting that many others leave and take their years of experience with them because of blocked career paths. "This common-sense reform honors and credits their service by giving them the same shot at career advancement that other federal employees have. We cannot thank Senator Tester enough for his tireless work on this good-government reform. In addition, our deepest thanks go out to Senator Johnson for reaching across the aisle and using his leadership position to advance the bill."
An estimated 10,000 temporary seasonal employees would benefit from the LMWFA
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