Lakewood v. State Employment Relations Board

The City of Lakewood ("the city") unilaterally changed the rotation of its firefighters' work hours from a two platoon to a three platoon system in January 1986. This change provided for alternating shift cycles of twenty-four hours on and forty-eight hours off duty. Under the previous two platoon system firefighter shift cycles had been 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on and 72 hours off, duty. Hours worked in excess of fifty-four per week were accumulated and taken as vacation days.

The change precipitated an unfair labor practice claim by the International Associationof Firefighters,…