FOX 11 NEWS

“'LA firefighters say they are understaffed, not being paid properly”

“LOS ANGELES - In the wake of the California wildfires, some LAFD firefighters are bringing attention to the major staffing problems the department is facing. 

Firefighters say they are severely understaffed and are not being paid for all the hours they are working. 

Firefighters represented by the law firm Sethi Orchid Miner LLP held a press conference Tuesday morning outside LA City Hall to discuss the issue and the collection action they filed against the city. 

They say they have been raising concerns about understaffing for years, and while it wasn't a major issue in the past, it's now causing serious problems for firefighters and the city.

Oshea Orchid, a partner at Sethi Orchid Miner LLP, said firefighters are also not being properly paid for their time. 

"Many of the days they are working, including currently, they are working 25 and a half hours without getting paid for the extra hour and And this is a long standing practice that firefighters come in at 6:30 a.m., even though their actual start time is 8 a.m," Orchid said during the press conference. 

She said she's hopeful that in the weeks to come, the city will make a decision to prioritize paying them fairly and staffing them properly. 

According to Orchid, on February 10, 2023, a collective action was filed alleging the department was routinely refusing to pay firefighters for hours worked during recalls and other times firefighters had to stay on due to understaffing.”