Gavin Newsom vetoes raise for CA state firefighters

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00:00California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would increase the minimum pay for the

00:05state's firefighters, and people are scratching their heads wondering why. Just nine months ago,

00:09this exact group was critical in helping fight the costliest blazes in state history that were

00:15in and around Los Angeles. Now, the base pay for Cal Fire, the state firefighting service,

00:20is roughly a little more than $50,000 a year. By comparison, local firefighters like those

00:26employed by the city of Los Angeles make at least $85,000. In a letter explaining his decision,

00:31one that went against nearly unanimous bipartisan support, Newsom said it would cost California

00:36too much and would circumvent the collective bargaining process of the Cal Fire Union.

00:41Now, the bill would have required base pay to be within 15% of an average of 20 local fire

00:46departments around the state, and it would have cost California somewhere between $373 and $609

00:52million in the first year. California state agencies argued that when overtime is factored in,

00:58Cal Fire workers usually earn more than their local counterparts.