WORK SCHEDULE

Department of Interior, National Park Service, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Local 2058, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Case No. 99 FSIP 112, October 8, 1999 (Release No. 425).

The AGENCY proposed--

[T]o change the current tour of duty for employees assigned at the K House "to 9:15 a.m. until 5:15 p.m., with the site open to the public continuously from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m." The morning break would be scheduled at 9:40 a.m., and employees "would be expected to vary their paid (_ hour) lunch times to coincide with visitation patterns." The building also would be closed for 15 minutes sometime between 3 and 3:30 p.m. "for their afternoon break based on visitation patterns."

The UNION proposed to retain an 8:45 a.m. start time and 5:15 p.m. end time, with a half hour lunch break at noon. The morning break would be taken before 10 a.m. and the afternoon break would be taken as visitation allowed.

ARBITRATOR H. Joseph Schimansky ordered the adoption of the AGENCY's proposal.

WORK SCHEDULE

Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs Black Hills Health Care System, Fort Meade, South Dakota and Local 2342, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Case No. 00 FSIP 1, December 13, 1999 (Release No. 427).

The AGENCY proposed either an immediate change of the firefighters' tours of duty from 72 to 56 hours per week or that they be changed before the last pay period of 1999.

The UNION proposed the following:

Firefighters will be given a [four]-year phase-in period from the date of([an agreement) to adjust and to find alternate income sources to compensate for the reduction in pay resulting from the 72-hour to 56-hour tour conversion. New employees could be placed on whatever tour management chooses. At the end of the [four]-year phase-in period, there would be an opportunity to revisit the composition of the 56-hour tour (i.e., 24 hours on, 48 hours off, 48-56-64 hour rotation).

The PANEL ordered the parties to adopt the following:

The 72-hour tours of duty presently in effect for firefighters at the Black Hills Health Care System facility located at Fort Meade, South Dakota, will be maintained for a period of [two] years from the date of this Decision and Order. At the end of that [two] year period, the Employer may convert to 56-hour tours of duty. Upon the issuance of this Decision and Order, newly-hired firefighters at the facility may be placed on whatever tours of duty the Employer chooses.