A rally this week included about 500 firefighters from across the state calling on Michigan lawmakers to pass a bill that would require staffing discussions during collective bargaining.

Michigan Professional FireFighters President Matthew Sahr says he’s been having discussions with legislators.

“The problem is that a lot of the people that said they supported it are now seemingly looking the other way and we can’t understand why,” Sahr said. “This bill again is about our resident safety and Michigan firefighters are always rated as one of the most trustworthy professions here in Michigan. The reason why that is because when they need us, they know they can count on us and we keep our word. We’re hoping that the politicians here in Lansing will do the same thing.”

The union says if the bill doesn’t pass this month, it will expire, jeopardizing efforts to address staffing shortages across the state.