CHULA VISTA (KGTV) — Chula Vista firefighters are pushing to give the city's hand crew members the same workplace protections and benefits as other city firefighters.
The roughly 30 hand crew members were hired through the city's Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program, a pilot program created to address fire-prone vegetation and help reduce wildfire risks around Chula Vista.
The firefighters union now wants to make the program permanent and bring the hand crew members into the union.
“Our employees, the men and women that are actually doing the work of the hand crew, they don't receive the same benefits as you would see a local firefighter in the city of Chula Vista,” said Darrell Roberts, president of Chula Vista Firefighters Local 2180.
The hand crew members currently receive salaries funded through state grants and the city's Measure A tax, but do not receive the same benefits as city firefighters, according to the union.
Roberts said firefighters became concerned about what would happen if a hand crew member were injured on the job.
“They’re running large equipment, masticators, chainsaws, you name it,” Roberts said. “It’s a very, very dangerous job.”
The union is seeking health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, sick leave and protections for workers injured on the job.
The push also comes as firefighters face increased awareness of the health risks associated with their work. Roberts said cancer remains a major concern for firefighters because of exposure to smoke and other hazardous substances.
The next step comes Friday, when the approximately 300 members of Local 2180 are expected to vote on whether to bring the hand crew members into the union.
The proposal must receive a majority vote before the union can take it to the Chula Vista City Council.
“We want to make sure that they have the dignity and respect,” Roberts said. “We’re going to be the voice and we’re going to really champion their work.”
The union says the goal is to help recruit and retain workers while ensuring hand crew members have protections comparable to those provided to other city firefighters.
