NVFC reunites FLSA Coalition
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Coalition, which reconvened in September, is considering strategies for bringing to prominent attention the effects of a 1993 Department of Labor interpretation of the FLSA. Enforcement of the ruling, which stipulates that paid firefighters cannot volunteer to benefit the same community (or “public agency”) that pays them to do the same job, has been making it difficult for many departments to acquire adequate staffing.
The Coalition, comprised of fire service organizations, congressional staffers, attorneys, and firefighters, is seeking to have the FLSA revised so that paid firefighters can volunteer in their communities. Initiatives under consideration include the circulation of a large-scale petition to Congress and the implementation of an extensive grassroots letter-writing campaign. Legislation has been proposed (H.R. 94 and S. 324) that would exempt from the FLSA overtime provisions firefighters and rescue squad workers who volunteer their off-duty services at locations where they are not regularly employed.
For additional information, contact Bruce Beardmore at (888) ASK-NVFC.
