TBH those are some weird a$$ schedules. A 2 on/4 off 56 is a beautiful thing but man…to get there…
That 1 day thrown in there 
…
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Unit wide shift pattern is the key phrase. While helitack/air attack can work shift pattern 2, it’ll have to a an alternate shift pattern agreement that the employees want to work & then the chapter/district agree to with management. All suppression employees, stations, helitack air attack, crews, HFEOs will work the same rotating shift.
I don’t see the “one day” shift, looks like it is just the last day of the previous months shift…
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Ok, yeah that’s bizarre i agree. But that schedule is also the rotate every WP shift. Look at the other example where the rotation is every 2 WPs.
I agree. Plus to many of us have a long commute and it means probably one more drive to work in a pay period.
Yep. Looks like it reduces the single days from 5 per year to 3 but there are still some funky things with a single day off just before a single day on. There are gonna be a lot of shift trades.
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Work out duty/shift trades with your buddies and guys in your station so you add that single day to the end of your last full shift, or front end of your next.
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A 7 day shift cycle like CAL FIRE uses doesn’t lend itself well to a rotating schedule. Any way you do a rotation will result in more split shifts and single days off duty than it creates extended days off.
Going to a 48/96 creates a 6 day cycle that automatically rotates, so there is a consistent pattern year round.
If this gets approved, you’ll get used to getting the shift shaft every month or two and look forward to the rare shift gift where the rotation creates extra days off.
I’m not saying to vote one way or another. It’s just the way the math works out.
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I’m trying to picture how the schedule will work.
If you are scheduled to have a certain week be your 2 on/5 off week, do you “own” that schedule or could your short week change every pay period?
Could you be scheduled for the short week to be the first week of one pay period but randomly have the short week be scheduled to be the third week of the next just to suit the department’s needs?
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burn or trade the single
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The 3 southern units (BDU, RRU, SDU) have been rotating for 3+yr.
That’s approximately 25% of suppression employees.
RRU does it every PP 
BDU & SDU every other (6 times a yr)
Everyone gets 1-2 1 day weeks (beginning/end of PP)
And 2-3 2 day rotations.
Senior bidding employees take these days first.
Burn 1-2 days to get 8 days off…
I’ve personally seen people bid 26 working days & take 100 days off with VDO days.
The schedule sucked at first. But it’s easy now that I’m use to it. HUGE P.I.A. for BSC.
RRU has a “large” call off problem on 1 & 2 day shifts.
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I don’t think there was a good understanding of this during the big push for the 66
Looking at it now. The 3 on 1 off 1 / 1 on 1 off 2 on is gonna suck for commuters.
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Yep. Hopefully the union can clarify but it’s ultimately up to the Unit Chief on what each unit will choose. What was sold to us during the meetings was a 3 on 4 off, 3 on 4 off, 3 on 4 off, 2 on 5 off and then repeat with your same duty schedule. I would be totally fine that.
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All version have a few 1 day shifts, this is what we just counted, only look at Forward rotations
1 WP Rotation :5
2 WP Rotation : 3
1 WP Kelly :3
2 WP Kelly :2
Everything out the window on a leap year :dizzy:
Honestly, well worth it for the progress. Especially when you can burn a day and get 9 days off on those weeks. I believe that would be standard practice.
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A couple fall weird , one day off one day on, 3 days off. But yest most allow for a mini vacation
Why only looking at forward schedules? Just curious?
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Lazyiness.
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There are never solutions just trade offs:
72 hour pay is monthly (12 salary checks) and EDWC(13 overtime checks one per pay period)
Equals total pensionable compensation for the year
12x13 156 working days for people on straight 72
14x13 182 working days for HFEOs etc on 2 1/2 3 1/2
16x13 208 working days for FC B’s on 4 day schedule
66 hour pay is monthly (12 salary checks) and EDWC(13 overtime checks one per pay period)
Equals total pensionable compensation for the year
11x13. 143 working days for ALL suppression personnel
13 less days per year per person from straight 72
39 less days for people on 2 1/2, 3 1/2
65 less days for people on 4 day schedule
So total dollar per number of days worked is greater on the 66 so common sense is yes it’s a pay increase due to less amount of work provided for same pay.
X/12 is less than X/11
This is huge to get a government bean counter to agree to pay the same total amount for less work. (Total pensionable compensation for fewer days)
BUT: with all of this hiring to work less days vacation will still have to follow the 20 percent rule with more employees. With more employees comes more on vacation, more on IDL ,and more possibilities for sick leave. The way vacation is picked/handled will need to be done the same throughout the units. The antiquated burn all what you earn for senior employees first and leaving nothing for new guys will have to change with the times. Yes we are going to entice new people with a prettier schedule but getting hosed and not getting time off will drive the younger generation away. They don’t care, they call out sick, if they don’t get a day off they want, don’t care about pay deductions(pay doc).
More wear and tear on aging facilities and more wear and tear on fleet. Both of which are band-aided as it is. So that means more reserve engines and broken facilities
Could this be a stop gap? No one’s sure
Knowns :
-Health care cost increases every year.
(Maybe we fight more for this)
-The retirement age of 57 is going to push many bodies to breaking point and they are going to go broke on worker’s compensation forcing coverage behind
(Definitely need to work on a different idea)
-Rotating schedules suck for experienced employees and youngsters love them
(Yes it is change and people are against it)
-Even down on a 56 hr you still work 3 out of 7 days
( it’s like daylight savings. You can’t make a day longer or the week shorter straight 72 is still 3 days out of 7)
-Someone will still have to work weekends, nights, and holidays.
-Forces are still going to happen
-You are going to miss birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries.
-Staffing patterns will still happen
-Management will still screw everything up that makes sense
With the possible schedules.: You can’t just burn a day to take it off. Anyone that tells you that is smoking crack. It makes people call in sick and force the next dude that turns into the screw your partner game.
-Remember, no matter which one you like it’s still up to the discretion of the unit chief. So if it makes sense it won’t when they choose.
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Just wait until the top seniority folks bid all those single days but block 9 and screw over people who get 2 weeks.
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