Wildfire Petition FAQ
What is the issue the petition supports?
Members have stepped up to share their experiences with co-workers about the exceptionally tough past fire season. MAPE has heard these concerns and spoke with more members across the state. We have heard stories of unsafe conditions, unsustainable scheduling and burnout. The DNR Meet and Confer (M&C) is now working more publicly to get these issues resolved.
We understand the problems and have developed solutions through the leadership of the DNR M&C and MAPE foresters. We want to make sure that these issues are addressed, and that management sees MAPE employees at the DNR as collaborators in future fire policymaking.
Management and the union are proud of the changes we’ve been able to work on and make together. We tried in supplemental bargaining prior to this past fire season to address ongoing issues and were told by management that the changes we offered were not acceptable. We also learned of some issues and ideas for solutions we hadn’t been working on yet due to the overwhelming number of people coming to their union!
Why is MAPE working on this issue right now?
Issues regarding wildland fire suppression have been long-standing. Some of the issues were previously addressed through the Meet and Confer (M&C) Committee and supplemental bargaining. M&C tried to address ongoing issues this past fire season, but we were told by management that the changes we offered were not acceptable. Therefore, we are trying again and asking for more support within DNR to bring to management.
What is in the DNR petition? Why is it important for all DNR employees to support the campaign and sign the petition?
To make changes we will need to show those in positions of power that an overwhelming majority of DNR employees are standing together in support of those colleagues who are in direct negotiations to address issues of safety, staffing and burnout. It is important that all DNR staff organize to move these critical issues forward.
Standing together with your coworkers, even if not directly impacted, is what the labor movement has always been about. You may not be impacted directly but your coworkers are. By standing together we can bring attention to the problem and show management that this is an issue all staff are concerned about, not just those directly impacted. We should all be concerned about the health and safety of our coworkers, not just when it impacts us.
Petitions are portable and can be used to show our union unity on specific issues and can be shared with DNR management, elected officials like Gov. Walz and legislators, media, community partners and other stakeholders.
The survey is for foresters and others working directly with fire. If I sign the DNR petition, does it mean I support everything on the survey?
We have a variety of issues and solutions laid out in the survey and we want feedback from foresters and others working directly with fire about issues important to them. MAPE is member-led, and we want to ensure MAPE foresters shape and prioritize the issues important to building a strong campaign. Once you have signed the petition in support of addressing these issues, we encourage you to rank the issues that are the most important to you.
Do I have to rank every issue on the survey?
If an issue is important to you, rank it. If an issue is not important to you, do not rank it.
We would also appreciate anything you can share about your work and the impact of fire duty. This information will help us to prioritize campaign issues.
The survey is important and is one additional communications tool to get a sense of what is most broadly and deeply felt by members. The survey is an internal MAPE survey and we will choose what, if anything, we will share with management.
What if management does not do anything or care to make changes?
Management could choose not to engage their employees on these issues but they are not the only decision-makers we are prepared to bring to the table. The reality is if we do not act, things will at best stay the same and potentially get worse. We have a better chance to make changes by sticking together and not allowing management to shut us out.
I do not want to lose flexibility with my hours, lose opportunities for overtime or be scheduled in a way where I could be forced to work consistently during the weekends.
We understand these concerns and we have seen management try to make broad changes instead of addressing the factual issues presented to them. However, MAPE members and leaders direct our work, not management. There are no plans to make decisions without the approval of membership, and we know the importance of flexibility in our work, so that will not be on the table.
If management chooses to make broad changes that do not work for members, we have a better path to fight it by standing strong and working together to shape the future of the forestry department.
I am worried about retaliation or a negative reaction from management.
We understand your concerns. Acting against people with power like management can be intimidating. The reality is that the more public you are as an individual in concerted protected union activity the more protected you are legally. We are most powerful when we stand together.
It is ok and understandable to be concerned and even scared of management’s reaction. However, you are protected because of your union and labor law. Management is not allowed to surveil, harass, interrogate, retaliate and more for concerted protected union activity. If you are ever uncomfortable with a meeting related directly to wildland fire, you can direct it to the union conversation and leaders.
Ask yourself: Are you better off standing together with your coworkers or worrying about retaliation alone?
What is the benefit of working on an early retirement program for those that work on wildland fire? How do we achieve that benefit?
We know that working on wildland fire fighting has long-term mental and physical impacts. The short- and long-term hazards of the job means that people who work on wildland fire face a 9% increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14% increase in cancer-related deaths. In addition, the stress of the work on people’s mental health can lead to untreated PTSD and depression. An early retirement program not only helps address those long-term effects but also is an incentive for new employees.
Even if DNR management has the will to act on this, there are still complicated policies and legislative issues to deal with to move employees who work on wildland fire into early retirement programs. Our current ask is for DNR management to partner with us and other legislative partners to push the plan through the Legislature. This is one of many long-term goals that may take a few legislative sessions but is an important goal, nonetheless.
Questions? Reach out to:
Your Business Agents
Dan Engelhart dengelhart@mape.org
Britton Mikkelsen bmikkelsen@mape.org
Or