General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Boston firefighters dig through ashes to find fallen comrade's wedding ring [View all]lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)a) were you not paid? or,
b) did you not sleep?
Preparedness and worker health are improved and costs are reduced when changing to 12 hour shifts. Fire service operates in the public interest like any other public service, 24 hour shifts don't do anything for the citizens.
[div class="excerpt" style="margin-left:0; border:3px solid #000066; color:#33000; background:#F1F2F7; width:550px;"]Many firefighters like the current systems three-day block of free time, which allows them to commute great distances but still spend significant time with family and, in some cases, work other jobs.
The president of the D.C. firefighters union, Edward C. Smith, said Ellerbe's proposal would be "devastating" to union members. "Morale, people's family lives, day care, commuter costs, all sorts of problems," said Smith, a fire captain.
He said Ellerbe "has been floating this idea for a while now," so it comes as no surprise. The union, Local 36 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, has 1,800 members, from firefighters to captains.
"It's going to be a big issue" in upcoming contract negotiations, said Smith, who vowed to fight the proposal vigorously. "I speak for the membership. It's not me personally. The whole membership is against it."
I find it interesting that one persons offhand (and entirely accurate) observation that he's never been paid to sleep is enough for the station chief to override the town's policies to crush the internet miscreant.
I feel like Emperor Palpatine. "Unlimited Power!"