Despite their warnings about budget deficits, LAFD union leaders increased their own compensation by implementing enormous overtime.
The L.A. Firefighters
Freddy Escobar, the veteran president of the firefighters’ union that represents the Los Angeles Fire Department, reported for duty on a Sunday morning in January 2022. He reported for a 14-hour overnight the following night. The following night, he repeated the action.
The L.A. Firefighters
Escobar is not a firefighter like the others. Ten members of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) union board are permitted to take full-time leave from their city positions while still receiving their LAFD pay; this is referred to as “union release time.”
The L.A. Firefighters
However, a Los Angeles Times investigation has shown that union president Escobar received hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime over the past six years while serving as a full-time official. He received $184,034 in overtime compensation in 2022 alone. With benefits, his total compensation exceeded $424,000. The union then gave him a stipend of $115,962.
The L.A. Firefighters
Over $262 million, or $77,000 per worker, was paid to LAFD employees in overtime that same year. In overtime alone, some made over $600,000.
More than 3,300 firefighters perform 10 24-hour shifts a month to support the LAFD’s round-the-clock operations. Long periods of time off are permitted by this timetable, but it also significantly depends on staff availability to take on additional shifts.
The L.A. Firefighters
The city has relied on overtime to cover staffing shortages rather than hiring more workers. For extra shifts, firefighters are frequently paid time-and-a-half; in certain situations, they may receive double or triple pay if they cover holidays or other special occasions.
The L.A. Firefighters
Burnout, absenteeism, and a system that promotes taking sick leave to prevent burnout—which in turn calls for more overtime—create a feedback cycle.
The L.A. Firefighters
According to one LAFD captain, “it’s the only way we’ve kept the wheels on.”
Despite union members’ warnings and their calls for the city to hire more firefighters in order to control overtime expenditures, the cycle has persisted in this manner.
The L.A. Firefighters
Escobar and the UFLAC did not immediately reply to a request for comment, and Escobar did not answer the Times’ inquiries.
The controversy comes at a stressful time for the agency, as criticism of budget shortages that prevented firefighters from responding adequately to the January Palisades and Eaton fires is still going strong.
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