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Oshkosh council approves firefighters’ contract that shifts crews to 48-on/96-off schedule
Summary
The City of Oshkosh approved a labor contract with the International Association of Firefighters Local 316 that replaces the department’s 24-on/24-off rotation with a 48-on/96-off schedule; city and union leaders said the change is intended to aid recruitment and recovery while maintaining staffing levels.
The Oshkosh City Council approved a labor contract with the International Association of Firefighters Local 316 on Sept. 23 that moves department crews from a 24-on/24-off rotation to a 48-on/96-off schedule.
The change, described to the council by Fire Chief Hammond, is part of a contract adopted as part of the meeting’s consent agenda (resolution 25-486). The contract was presented to the council as an agreement negotiated between the city and the union; the transcript does not record an individual roll-call tally tied solely to this resolution.
Chief Hammond told the council the 48/96 shift—two shifts on followed by four shifts off—originated on the West Coast and has migrated to departments in the Midwest. He said studies and department experience suggest "the recovery time they're finding is much better," and that the schedule gives firefighters longer consecutive time off to decompress. "And another huge advantage is just family time for our employees," Hammond said.
Councilmember Nichols raised a safety concern for staff working ambulance and emergency medical services, saying, "48 hours on is a long time for anybody," and noting Oshkosh’s higher volume of EMS calls relative to fire calls. Hammond responded that staffing levels and total coverage hours would remain the same under the new agreement, and that the city and labor representatives had revised ambulance scheduling and overtime rules to reflect the new rotation. He said that, when ordered in for overtime, ambulance personnel would now come in for 12 hours instead of 24.
Council discussion emphasized recruitment and retention benefits. Hammond said younger prospective employees strongly favor the 48/96 schedule. "Amongst the, members we pulled, our younger members, by a big margin, I prefer that shift," he said, and added the schedule helps the department remain competitive in a tight hiring market.
No changes to total staffing levels were announced at the meeting, and council members said the contract was negotiated with input from labor representatives and city staff. The resolution was listed on the consent agenda and adopted as part of the council’s consent actions.
The contract’s effective dates, salary adjustments, and any other monetary provisions were summarized in staff materials presented to the council but are not detailed in the meeting transcript.
