By Kurtis Alexander : sfchronicle – excerpt

​​Thousands of wildland firefighters in California, and thousands more across the West, may see pay cuts of up to 50% next month as lawmakers in Washington fail to agree on a plan to continue pay raises for federal fire employees.

The pay reduction, which could come regardless of whether the U.S. government shuts down in the current budget battle, would leave many firefighters in California with the personal hardship of making less than minimum wage. It also could send employees packing for higher-paying jobs and exacerbate staffing shortages already plaguing federal firefighting ranks…

Without permanent funding for higher firefighter wages, efforts to maintain the current pay have gotten caught up in the larger budget debate playing out in Washington. Congress this week continued to feud over the appropriations bills needed to keep the federal government up and running in the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Short-term money to at least partially fund the government, which could include keeping firefighters whole at least temporarily, is being discussed. Some Republicans, particularly in the House, remain hesitant to move forward with funding out of concern about high levels of spending…(more)