City discriminates against shift workers

June 17th, City Council unanimously voted to reduce all shift workers' holiday accrual rates, in effect forcing 24- hour shift fire fighters to work 120 additional hours per calendar year for the same base pay. Previous to the change in policy, firefighters worked 2664 hours per calendar year (121 days x 24 hours/ minus 240 holiday hours) for a set salary.

The new policy now has 24 hour shift firefighters working 2784 hours per calendar year (121 days x 24 hours/ minus 120 hours) with little additional compensation regulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

There has been an outcry by the City on Fire Department Overtime, yet by reducing the holiday benefit it will actually raise the FLSA overtime costs by $153,000, a 40% increase. Even Bill Ellis, the city's deputy finance director, stated that when all things are considered between a 40 hour employee and a 24 hour shift employee, it is about an even compensation package. So why the change in only shift worker benefits if it was already balanced? The State newspaper reported the City will save $425,000 by doing this to police and fire schedules.

Below outlines the City's new policy: HOLIDAY LEAVE HOURS Employees scheduled to work 8 hours per day/5 days per week and 10 hours per day/4 days per week, or 2080 hours during the calendar year, will receive holiday leave hours at the rate of 8 hours per holiday, or a total of 80 hours per year based upon 10 scheduled holidays. Employees scheduled to work 12- hour shifts, or 2210 hours during the calendar year, will receive holiday leave hours at the rate of 8.5 hours per holiday, or a total of 85 hours per year based upon 10 scheduled holidays.

Employees scheduled to work 24- hour shifts, or 2756 hours during the calendar year, will receive holiday leave hours at the rate of 12.0 hours per holiday, or a total of 120 hours per year based upon 10 scheduled holidays. Source: City of Columbia

The Columbia Firefighters Association would like to point out that the city calculated hours above are incorrect. They should be fairly calculated as follows:

• 8 hour employees work only 37.5 hours per week (08:30- 5:00) for a total of 1950 hours per calendar year. Subtract 80 holiday hours (10 days @ 8 hours) leaves 1870 hours worked per calendar year.

• 24 hour shift employees work 121 days at 24 hours each for a total of 2904 hours per calendar year.

• Subtract 120 holiday hours (10 days x 12 hours) leaves 2784 hours worked per calendar year

• Firefighters work 914 ADDITIONAL HOURS (2784- 1870) FOR THE SAME BASE PAY AS AN 8 HOUR EMPLOYEE equaling 49% MORE HOURS per calendar year!

• Even the previous rate of 240 holiday hours (10 days x 24 hours) leaves 2664 worked equaling 42% more hours worked per calendar year as an 8 hour employee.

• Simply based on the TOTAL number of hours worked for the same pay, "Is this fair?"

• "No, it isn't." So to offset the 914 additional hours worked, the City had previously granted 24 Hour and other shift workers more time off, equaling 240 total hours. They have now reduced it to 120 hours, essentially giving all fire fighters a 3.8% pay reduction.

Assuming half of the reported $425,000 savings comes from the fire department and the other half from the police department, $212,500 is the reported savings on the Fire Department's side. However, here are some "hidden costs" that must be considered into the reported $425,000 city savings.

• Mandatory FLSA Overtime will automatically increase due to Federal regulations. Currently only 10 of the 26 pay cycles require FSLA (holidays exclude FLSA overtime unless actual worked) and this will increase to 14 pay cycles, a 40% increase.

• The budgeted federal FLSA overtime account of $384,000 would need to be raised $153,000, a 40% increase for a new total of $537,000 due to more hours worked. Keep in mind FLSA is paid at HALF the normal hourly rate, not time and a half.

• With less time off statistics show sick time will likely increase, thereby forcing more mandatory overtime at 1.5 times the normal hourly rate. At $1,000 per sick day (sick time rate, plus back- fill of 1.5 hours), just 50 fire fighters taking 1 extra sick day per calendar year will equal approximately $50,000 of unbudgeted overtime funds.

• Anyone working overtime would nearly always earn 1.5 hourly wages due to more "worked" hours contributing to check.

• Where are the savings? $212,500, minus $153,000 in FLSA costs and $50,000 in possible sick time increases leaves a total savings $9,500. Is this worth the drop in morale, when two engines are already shut down? Simply the majority of all City employees are not affected by this, only shift workers, yet the City considers this Fair? We retract any inaccuracies previously released.