UPE held a meet and confer with the Court on January 7, 2024, over the Court’s plan to close CMJC every Friday and shift staff to a 4-day / 10-hour-a-week schedule. Under the 18-month trial, the Court’s hours of operation will change from 8 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday to 7 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday. Staff schedules will shift to either 7 am to 6 pm, 7 am to 5:30 pm, or 7:30 am to 6 pm. Based on a Court survey of staff and UPE’s own assessment, there appears to be broad support for the change among CMJC staff. UPE did question what options would be available to staff who could not accommodate the schedule change. The Court agreed to a process whereby members can notice the Court prior to the implementation of the new schedule that they would like to move locations. The Court will work with individuals to find a transfer opportunity for them. The Court will even allow members to try the 4/10 schedule and see if it can work before asking to transfer. However, if members want the opportunity to try out the schedule, they must identify themselves to the Court prior to implementation. The Court will send notice to all employees regarding the process of requesting a transfer or a trial.
Under the new schedule, operations will remain largely unchanged, but there will be additional Court calendars in the morning and afternoon. Per the contract, under a 4/10 schedule, employees will still receive two breaks and a lunch. Overtime occurs after working more than 10 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. When Court holidays fall on a Friday (when members are off work), they will receive 8 hours of CTO. When a holiday falls on a normal 10-hour workday, members will get the day off with pay but will need to use 2 hours of CTO and then vacation to make up the extra two hours.
Throughout the 18-month trial period, the Court will evaluate the progress of the change every 3 months. The Court is developing metrics to measure the success of the change. In addition, the Court will survey staff and the public. UPE has requested copies of all metrics, baseline data, and surveys so we can also monitor the progress of the 4/10 trial. UPE is hopeful that the change will demonstrate the benefits of alternative work schedules on workplace morale and lead to changes at other Courthouses.