Real Flextime—Union Made

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/speakout/netsy_firestein.cfm

Real Flextime—Union Made

By Netsy Firestein
Executive Director, Labor Project for Working Families

Sally Wright, 67, a greeter at the Wal-Mart in Ponca City, Okla., says she quit last August after 22 years with the company when managers pushed her to make herself available to work any time, day or night. She asked to stay on the day shift, but her manager reduced her schedule from a 32-hour week to an eight-hour week and refused her pleas for more hours.

Unfortunately, this is only one example of “fake flex” policies that force workers to “flex” their lives to fit the job.

The latest profit-making strategy of many employers is to create a cheaper and more “flexible” workforce. In the interest of the bottom line, they cap wages, force more full-time workers to become part-time labor, and force them to work increasingly irregular work schedules, including working more nights and weekends. The demand that workers be available round the clock puts the company’s needs first and the needs of working families last. Such management-driven “fake flex” policies that penalize workers and give them little or no control have given flextime a bad name.

Unions can tell the difference between fake flex and real flex: Real flextime is worth fighting for.

If workers are expected to flex to the job, the job should flex back. Real flextime equals workers’ control over job time plus security. It is never forced on workers. It expands their choices by giving them the power to shape their work hours and schedules to achieve work family balance. Within negotiated limits, real flextime options do not cost workers their pay, benefits or job security.

FULL article at link.

[CrispyQ]

1. This is just so wrong.

How the hell do you manage your personal life if you have be available 24x7 for your job. You can't raise a family under these conditions. You can't live a life under these conditions. Walmart is just flexing their muscle showing that they will control their workers lives. Shame, shame, shame on fucking Walmart.

Years ago I had a good paying union job that was also part time. Most of the part timers were students or mothers. The employees would let management know what times/days they were not available for work & management wrote the schedule accordingly. This was in a grocery store that was open till midnight. Their labor costs & their level of service would have suffered without part timers.