Westminster : 5-Day Week Blocked by Court Restraining Order

About 50 city public-works employees won a temporary restraining order Friday, barring the city from switching their workweek from four 10-hour days to a five-day, eight-hour schedule.

Superior Court Commissioner Greer Stroud granted the restraining order to the Westminster Municipal Employees Assn. pending a July 15 hearing. The employees were informed Wednesday that they would begin the new schedule Monday morning, according to association attorney James Harker.

“Obviously, (the four-day week) is a very advantageous thing for the employees, because they get a three-day weekend. But we also think it’s good for the public,” he said, noting that it saves energy and improves employee morale. He added that the association would be willing to negotiate with the city, but not merely to accept the order.

City Councilman Charles Smith said he feels the switch to a five-day week would improve efficiency. “In the first place, anytime somebody comes in to work earlier than everyone else, they can’t communicate with anyone,” he said, “And they tend to get more tired from the long day.”