Towns eye 4-day work, school week (Maine)

[jpak]

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/49926.html

PORTLAND, Maine — More than 100 school districts in 16 states have decided to go with four-day school weeks. At least one state has told its employees to work four days a week. Now, the energy-saving idea is beginning to get serious consideration in Maine.

In Saco, city officials are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to move to a four-day workweek for City Hall employees. With approval, Saco would join the Bangor Public Works Department, which has started a four-day workweek.

Other towns considering a similar move include Belfast, Old Orchard Beach, Kittery, Kennebunk, Fairfield, Houlton, Sebago, Etna and Bridgton, said Saco City Clerk Lucette Pellerin. With high motor fuel and heating oil costs, the four-day week would save energy and money.

A voluntary four-day work schedule for state employees is part of Gov. John Baldacci’s $12.6 million energy action plan. Some state employees are taking part, but the number of participants isn’t available, said Chip Gavin, director of the state Bureau of General Services.

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[patrice]

1. Good! Very, Very Good! You just made my day jpak!

[zazen]

2. and have Day 5 devoted to home schooling all of us on green/post-peak skills and actions

Can you imagine if one day a week communities organized educational workshops and got extension agents out in neighborhoods to help people and their kids put into practice a range of self-sustaining skills, community organizing, greenworks, etc? Work week. Civic Day. Weekend. I'm dreaming.

[zazen]

3. we could be the "Fifth Day Movement"

What did the Lord supposedly create on the fifth day, anyway?

[patrice]

4. My Labor leader Dad, may he rest in peace, used to say "There could be an 8 day week."

4 10hour days on + 4 days off. Would double the number of jobs. AND I add: if we were living in co-housing (i.e. ***EQUITY*** based) environments, LOOK at what We could do with those 4 days off!!!!!!!!

We'd probably have a little trouble selling this one to Fundies, but it COULD be started on small individual business bases.