shift changes

[huskerfire]

Hello to all fellow firefighters I am a volunteer fire chief with 70 volunteer members 7 of which are paid driver operators we have 2 city stations which cover a city of around 30,000 and are fire district is 272 sq. miles the question i have asked before and still need help with is that are driver operators run 4 12 hour shifts and i would like some good input on getting them back to a 24 48 shift see the problem starts with the city manager and refuses to go to the 24 48 shift but as you can see we are saveing our great city and fire distict millions in tax dollars with our volunteers which all love and do a very good job on an average we have 30 personel per call. but i need to get my paid drivers back on a 24 48 shift PLEASE HELP

[PuffyNPFD]

I know as a volunteer chief you might not want to hear this but if they unionize then they will have a greater say over their working conditions one of which being their work schedule. When I got on, our retired chief, who was one of the first career men hired said that the city could do whatever they wanted, and they had no say over pay, schedule, benefits etc. But once they went IAFF, the city was forced to bargain each and every item in the contract and they had greater say over working conditions and the city had to accept it. Probably will be the only way that this schedule might be implemented.

[Bruzer]

Chief, I work for a combination dept. There are 5 paid "Drivers" we work a strange scedule. When I got hired I asked how the shifts worked and my Chief said " lets sit down at a calander" Here goes:
we start out with a day shift 0600-1500 next day 0900-1800 followed up by a 0800-0800 24hr. then two days off and repeating. But if our day shifts fall on a sat or sun or holiday it is a day off. We only work the 24's on the weekends. You end up with 1-4 days of depending on how the rotation is going. It constantly is changing so no one gets the short end all the time.
We have 2-3 paid on shift from 0600-1800 and one on 24's every day 365/yr. It is not the greatest scedule, we work a few more shifts a month but I could not think of doing anything else.

Hope this helps.

[BFDCW7]

I am to speaking for the union side, your drivers even if there is only seven have a right to form a union. The IAFF will help and work with the city to acheive better conditions.

[Jam1902]

Chief, Christ I hope this doesn’t turn into the other career/volunteer bashing threads but here goes.

The only thing you have to worry about if your drivers go IAFF is that if you have any of your other members who work in other jurisdictions and belong to the IAFF you may lose those members as volunteers because you will now have an organized local of the IAFF in your station. I am a firm believer in unions but the stance the IAFF has with their members volunteering sucks.

If any of the other municipal workers in your city have a union, maybe your drivers can get into their union. Although the IAFF is more knowledgeable to issues involving firefighters, no where does it say a firefighter has to be in the IAFF. It would seem to me that if they went IAFF with only 7 members that wouldn’t appear to be a lot of bargaining power. There are many other departments in unions that cover other municipal employees in their city and are quit pleased. Getting into a local union that is already established in your municipality may even be better as they already know the ins and outs of the people they will be bargaining with.

Does it really matter what union you’re in as long as their needs are taken care of? Although even if they do belong to a union that is still no guarantee that they will be able to get their schedule changed, that’s why they call it bargaining.

You mention, “back to a 24/48 shift” how and who changed it if they already had that shift? And what’s wrong with the current shift?

Just my nickels worth, Peace!

[PuffyNPFD]

Jam, I just suggested it because sometimes you have to do things like this in order to acheive progress. You know I am the furthest thing from anti volly. However, the IAFF isn't a big bad union.The few a**holes that stir up crap ruin a good thing. I see the union as a good thing for me at my job. But I don't let it tell me what I can do after my 48 are done every week. The IAFF does for us what IBEW does for electricians, or the TEAMSTERS do for truckers. Frankly some bitch because the have nothing else to bitch about that is why some of this crap comes about. If these guys were to unionize their only mission should be to protect the own livlihood. It would improve their situation but they should realize that being a member of the IAFF doesn't give one the right to s*** on anyone!

[Jam1902]

Puffy - I agree! I am a union member where I work. I was also an IAFF member for 8 years until I did a career change and the only issue I have with them is I believe its Article 15, and Resolution 43 that was passed at the Chicago convention. But hey, that’s only my opinion. In no way was I trying to talk huskerfire out of getting his personnel into the IAFF, I was just trying to point out options. If they choose to go the IAFF way, more power to them.

I hope the weather in R.I. is as good as it is in D.C. Peace!