Ten-Hour Shifts, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again, to paraphrase the start of a popular song from the 1970's.
There has been a lot said both pro and con for the ten-hour Shift. Most agree that the eight-hour day is the ideal length of the working day. There are advantages to the company if we go on the ten-hour Shift so we must be fairly compensated. The main advantage that I see with this compressed work week proposal is the fact that we only have to work four days in row and we will get three days off in a row.
The Union movement, spear headed by the CLC, has been moving towards shorter working time. In our own union we are now trying to negotiate a shorter workweek (a 10% reduction in the standard workweek). While the ten-hour shift proposal doesn't get us to less working time we will get 52 more days off a year. An extra day off every week to pursue our home life.
Most changes in the standard working shifts meet a certain amount of resistance. The best example I can think of is the twelve-hour tour. There was, and always will be, great resistance to lengthening the standard working eight hour working day. The twelve-hour tour gives substantially more time off than the old 28-day tour and it shortened the workweek from the horrible seven days in a row to only four days in a row.
While the current eight hour-five day shift is nowhere near as bad as the 28-day tour there are many advantages to the four-day week. The CLC statistics show that by shortening the workweek there are major health benefits, lower levels of stress, improved home situations as well as better work performances. I believe that by having the start-stop times at 7:00 am and 5:00 p.m. the extra time per day that we spend at work will be easy to adjust to.
The first hand reports that I have heard are all positive, although some of the situations vary as to the length of the day (some locations already had the 36-hour week, thus the 9-hour day). Some only do it in the summer months and some only have selected crews on the compressed workweek. The news reports I have heard may have had their own bias but the union accounts and the union members that I have talked to have all been favorable.
One very important clause that is always part of the compressed work week contract language is the cancellation clause, typically 30 days. We can always negotiate the various options that will satisfy most of the members. I believe that this is one of the steps to getting us to shorter working time. Once people are working the four-day week they will not except going back to the five-day week, much like the twelve-hour tour workers would not opt for going back to the 28-day tour. Then, we as a union can work at shortening the working day, back to the eight-hour day (with no loss in pay).
There is a survey for recommendations for the ten hour compressed workweek being mailed to every member of our local that works day shift. Please read it and make any recommendations that you would like to see included. Return it to the union hall, to Number One Stores, to Don Klie or Jody Landry before January 29, 1998