[quote=no_such_reality][quote=sdrealtor]C’mon nsr at least be civil to them. No reason they cant sleep during the night as long as they are on duty and someone is awake. They also need to be at the ready so eating while at work is entirely reasonable and necessary also. What isnt necessary is Ritz Carlton like accommodations with expnsive stonework and million dollar views from the middle of nature preserves when more modest sites are available a couple hundred yards away.[/quote]
Agreed at a minimum.
However, my base point is that 24 hour shifts which require sleeping quarters are not necessary.
If they’re going work 24 hours shifts, then obviously, sleeping will be needed. 🙂
But why on 24 hours, off 24 hours, on 24 hours, off 7 days, one 24 hours. etc. Other cities have been very successful implementing regular styled work shifts.
As you say, it’s the lack of accountability. Frankly the 24 hour is more of the same, perk at the expense of the public. That same perk then drives the accomodations issue… it drives the over time issue, it drives the pension spiking issue (and what makes it so easy).
It’s more of the same “they only make XXXX” yet when you look at the State Controllers W2 statements most are making way more than XXXX. And yes, I know they’re working overtime, but how much overtime are they working to have many making 150%, 200% of their ‘base pay’? And having seen people ‘working’ overtime regular, how is pushing ‘safety’ workers that way, safe for the public?
The Fire Department justifies the expense saying every second counts. Really? So a sleeping firefighter is out the door as fast as an awake firefighter? (and yes, I know they’re out the door fast and appreciate it.)[/quote]
Which other cities have implemented 8 hour day/40 hour week shifts (or whatever you define as “regular styled work shifts”)? I don’t know of any that work those hours.
When you say the “24-hour shift” scheduling is “antiquated,” what do you mean, exactly? Is it “antiquated” because fires, accidents, assaults, heart attacks, strokes, etc. have stopped occurring at night? Please enlighten us.
FYI, firefighters have different rules WRT overtime, and do not get paid for O/T in the traditional way.
“Special “7(k) Work Periods.”
Public-sector (government) fire departments may establish special “7(k) work periods” for sworn firefighters, which can increase the FLSA overtime “thresholds” beyond the normal 40 hour week. Firefighters covered by these special work periods are entitled to FLSA overtime only for hours worked in excess of a threshold set by the Department of Labor on a chart. For example, in a 28 day work period, fire fighters would be entitled to FLSA overtime only for hours actually worked over 212 during that 28 day period (in essence, a 53 hour work week). “7(k)” refers to the section of the FLSA in which these special rules are contained, 29 USC §207(k). Most fire fighters who work “platoon schedules” will be classified by their employers as “7(k) eligible” and compensated accordingly.”
Additionally, in every case I’m aware of, O/T is NOT included in the calculations for pension benefits. Some public employers might include it, but many/most do not.
“Other Ways to Earn Benefits.
For the most part, public employees earn pension benefits based on their base salary—that is, as a certain percentage of their base salary during a specified number of years in their career. Overtime earnings provided as a supplement to base pay generally do not affect the pension benefits of public employees. There are, however, a few other ways that some groups of public employees earn pension benefits.”
And yes, the numbers you see on the salary schedules is what these employees REALLY earn. They are not hiding anything.
I’m seriously not trying to attack you, and don’t really want to get into another one of these tired arguments. There are plenty of things to complain about WRT the public sector, and I’m one of the biggest critics (believe it or not), but what drives me absolutely batshit crazy is when people put complete bullshit out there on the internet and claim it as some sort of fact that is then used to wrongly attack public sector employees.
Please, people…do some research before putting this stuff on the internet. Know what you are talking about first, then let the (valid) criticism fly.
