Posted by George Costas on July 24, 2000 at 15:22:14:

Before beginning TOXIC SHIFTS IV let me
recapitulate the main thrust of the TOXIC SHIFTS
series. The TOXIC SHIFTS series is an exposition
of a proposal to create an incentive-disincentive
amendment to the present Fair Labor Standards Act.
Rather than dealing primarily with the 40 hour week
as the present act does, the amendment addresses
broadening the act to deal with the issue of
shift work and related problems.

The amendment as proposed deals with shiftwork
through the mechanism of accelerated seniority,
longevity and pension awards. It in no way
precludes shift differential pay. It does not deal
with minimum time off between shifts. Nor does it
mediate between the proponents of eight, ten or
twelve hour shifts. These are important questions,
especially the minimum time off between shifts but
I think they are better addressed in other venues
such as union contracts, federal and state health
and safety regulations, company liability for off
job accidents, and multipliers being applied to
present workman’s compensation awards.

To those who have addressed me in private mail with
the opinion that “the way things are done” can’t be
changed I want to say this once and for all.
Companies already breach the walls of pension,
longevity and seniority practices every day. Many
of these breaches are among the inducements given
to obtain and reward valued management and other
favored personnel. Pension, seniority and longevity
awards are well within accepted practice but
perhaps it is only being kept a secret from you and
your fellow shift workers.

I am surprised that no one has raised the question
of portability of pension, seniority or longevity
rights. Certainly that is the thorniest of the
problems that arise from this amendment to the Fair
Labor Standards Act. Since no one has raised the
issue I won’t deal with it here. But don’t be
scared off. While the question of pension
protection and portability is a live problem and
must be dealt with. It will be dealt with as an
over-all problem that affects all employees and not
just shift workers. This is absolutely the best
time to raise our issues and make our proposals.

Originally I expected TOXIC SHIFTS IV to be devoted
to a defense of the proposal from a long litany of
arguments against it. The long litany hasn’t
materialized. Indeed a perusal of other shiftwork
forums finds that similar proposals are being
offered by others. While I sometimes monitor other
shiftwork forums this is the only one I post to. So
either the idea is spreading or as likely, it’s an
idea whose time has come.

This completes the first section of TOXIC SHIFT IV.
The next section will be, TOXIC SHIFTS IV (section
two: The Wisdom of The Mill Town) That will be
followed by TOXIC SHIFTS IV (section three: Lessons
From a Raw Egg) and the final section of TOXIC
SHIFTS IV will be (section 4: Unions, Consultants,
Researchers and Management)

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