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Council to place four‑day workweek MOAs on consent agenda after union approval
Summary
Two memoranda of agreement would expand or formalize an existing four‑day, 10‑hour pilot for public works and central garage crews and adjust holiday accrual handling; both were approved by the union and recommended for the council consent agenda.
The Oneonta City Council heard staff recommendations to place two memoranda of agreement (MOAs) on the consent agenda that would extend or formalize a four‑day, 10‑hour workweek pilot for specified maintenance crews and clarify how holidays are handled for employees on that schedule.
Staff said the city has operated a four‑day, 10‑hour schedule on a pilot basis since about 2022 with certain Department of Public Works and Central Garage crews and reported positive operational feedback from supervisors and employees. The updated MOAs would allow additional crews — described as the facilities/facilities maintenance crew (formerly referred to as parks, buildings and grounds) — to operate similar schedules while preserving five‑day coverage in that unit by staggering crews (one Monday–Thursday, the other Tuesday–Friday).
Under the proposed holiday language, employees on a four‑day schedule would continue to accrue the same amount of holiday hours as five‑day employees; when a holiday falls on an employee's scheduled day off, that employee would bank the holiday hours for later use so that, over time, holiday pay equity is maintained. Staff described the change as a way to avoid repeatedly switching employees back to a five‑day schedule when holidays occur.
Staff told the council both MOAs had been voted on and passed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) the previous day. Council members discussed efficiency questions and asked for research on national and labor‑union positions regarding four‑day schedules. One council member recommended the item go to the consent agenda with an explanation at the meeting.
Staff and council emphasized that the four‑day arrangement is still a pilot and remains an MOA tied to current contracts; the MOA would remain in pilot status until the end of the current contract (end of 2026) before any decision is made to make the schedule permanent. Council did not adopt new contract permanence at this meeting; it recommended placing the MOAs on the consent calendar for approval.
