Boise City Memorandum of Understanding
This is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) written by Perry Oldenburg. The vote will be conducted 30 days after the proposal is posted on the Union website. The expected date of posting is 8/30/04 allowing the vote to be taken approximately 9/29/04.
Boise Fire Department / IAFF Local #672
Proposed Schedule Change
BACKGROUND: Boise Firefighters are proposing a change from the current 24/48 schedule to a 48/96 schedule. The alternate schedule will be implemented on a trial basis and will not effect the current “hours of work”. Work schedule compression is currently one of the most widely used ways of addressing a good work-life balance. Studies have shown that the amount of continuous time spent away from a stressful job tends to reduce an employees overall stress level. Many Departments that have changed to the 48/96 schedule have realized financial savings as well. Some Departments have had up to a 60 percent reduction in sick leave utilization from the previous 10 year average. Both the City and the Firefighters may realize benefits from the proposed schedule change. Boise City and Local #672 have been interested in alternate shift schedules that may benefit both parties, to the extent that language is included in the current Collective Labor Agreement which states “ BOISE CITY and the UNION agree to jointly study the feasibility of the implementation of language for the staffing of a four (4) platoon system”. Although the four platoon system appears to be cost prohibitive at this time, alternatives such as this proposal have been the result.
Section I: Implementation
1. Effective January 1, 2005 the Boise Fire Department will implement, on a trial basis, the 48/96 work schedule. The trial period will be in effect until January 1, 2006. The trial period will allow both the Fire Department and its employees to accurately evaluate the merits of the work schedule throughout a calendar year.
2. If during the trial period the Fire Chief or Union believe the schedule is having a negative impact, the schedule will revert to the 24/48 schedule. Local #672 will assist in the re-selection of vacations if the Department reverts to the 24/48 schedule.
3. If both the Fire Department and Local#672 wish to continue the schedule past January 1, 2006, a membership vote to permanently change schedules should be conducted prior to vacation selections in the fall of 2005 to minimize Fire Department administrative workload during vacation selections.
Section II: Work Period
1. The 48/96 shift schedule is a three platoon system in which each employee will work two consecutive twenty-four hour shifts for a total of forty-eight hours, and have ninety-six consecutive hours off duty. A typical work schedule is as follows: X = work day, O = day offXXOOOOXXOOOO (repeats).
2. A “shift” will consist of a 24 hour period.
3. Employees assigned to the 40 hour work schedule will not be affected by this agreement.
4. Overtime will be in accordance with the current Collective Labor Agreement.
5. In the event that a shift is scheduled to work both December 24th and December 25th the same year, the shift assigned to work on December 23rd will be reassigned to work December 24th. The shift originally scheduled to work December 24th will be reassigned to work on December 23rd .
Section III: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
1. The FLSA work period shall be changed from a 27-day period to a 24 -day period beginning January 1, 2005 on a twelve month trial basis. Should the 48/96 schedule be discontinued, the 24-day period shall return to a 27-day period. Maximum hours of work for a 24-day period is 182.
2. The hours of work for shift duty members shall be fifty-four and twenty-nine one hundredths (54.29) hours per week. Hours of work for shift duty members shall remain the same as the 24/48 schedule.
Section IV: Scope
1. This agreement is in no way meant to change or delete a benefit or privilege provided by the IAFF Local #672 Collective Labor Agreement (CLA). This agreement is only meant to change the scheduled work days. The annual hours of work shall remain the same. All benefits and privileges will remain unchanged. In the event of an inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this agreement and the CLA, the terms and conditions of the CLA shall prevail.
Dated this ____ day of _________, 2004.
City of Boise City,International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 672
By ___________________________ By ______________________________
David Beiter, Mayor Thomas Lovell, President
ATTEST:
______________________
City Clerk