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Council upholds city’s shift‑schedule change for public works, rejects union request 6–1
Summary
After an impasse hearing, the Venice City Council accepted administration’s move from four‑10s to five‑8s for affected public‑works crews, citing coverage and overtime savings; the vote was 6–1.
The City Council on March 10 accepted city management’s decision to change selected public‑works crews from a four‑10‑hour schedule to a standard five‑8 schedule, voting 6–1 after a formal impasse hearing. Management argued the change provides consistent five‑day coverage for events, special projects and parks operations and reduced overtime costs; the council motion asked that no further action be taken to address the impact under the city’s management prerogative.
Union representatives told council many employees prefer the 4‑10 schedule for childcare, eldercare and secondary income reasons and presented external studies the union said supported retention and productivity on four‑10 schedules. A public‑works leader and city labor counsel countered that operational realities—weekend events, the parks interlocal transition and staffing sizes—required consistent five‑day coverage. “This decision is a management right under the collective bargaining agreement,” the city’s labor counsel told council; Public Works Director Ricky Simpson said the change produced improved service, special‑project capacity and reduced overtime. Council accepted administration’s position by 6–1, while some members urged continued engagement and suggested revisiting schedules in future bargaining or operational reviews.
