OMEA member,
We want to provide a brief update regarding alternative schedules and the City’s decision to move from every-other-Friday closures to public operations every Friday.
As discussed in our April update, OCEA met and conferred with the City regarding both the rollout process and the City’s decision to open every Friday. During those discussions, Human Resources and the City Manager made clear that weekly Friday operations were the City’s trade-off for implementing expanded scheduling flexibility.
OCEA raised concerns regarding staffing levels, workload impacts, employee morale, and the message this decision could send to the public given the City’s ongoing financial challenges. Despite those concerns, the City elected to move forward with its plan, which falls within management’s authority.
Based on information provided by the City, implementation remains scheduled to begin either the week of June 28 or July 12.
We also confirmed that employees were permitted to either keep their current schedules or select alternative schedules based on their preferences and operational needs. No employee was involuntarily assigned to a schedule they did not choose, and several members have already shared positive feedback regarding their new arrangements.
As implementation moves forward, please let us know if you experience any unforeseen issues related to workload, staffing, scheduling, service delivery, or work-life balance. Your feedback will help OCEA identify impacts that may not have been anticipated during the meet-and-confer process and determine whether further action is necessary.
Thank you to everyone who has shared feedback throughout this process. We will continue monitoring implementation and advocating for solutions that work for our members.
In Solidarity,
Kerensa Schupmann
