We have a union at our site. Can we still improve our shiftwork operations?
Yes, but this is a complicated issue. Union contract or not, the best solutions are the ones that fit the needs of the workforce as well as those of the company. Without the workers’ support, you will spend your career fighting with scheduling issues. If the union and management agree that a better schedule lies outside of what the contract allows, we help to write a timed addendum. This addendum must obviously meet with everyone’s approval and allow for a schedule to be implemented outside of the current contract for a specified period of time and with a very specific set of pay and work rules. This allows the schedule to be tested on a trial basis before it is incorporated into the contract.
