Posted on 04/28/2008 12:56:23 PM PDT by llevrok
SEATTLE - Mike Cummings believes that for more and more of us, our sentence is "commuting."
Working four days instead of five would mean 20 percent fewer trips to and from work, reducing oil consumption by an estimated 40 percent.
"When I came here I looked at the traffic on I-5 and thought to myself, 'Everybody who does that is out of their mind' and then I ended up being one of them," he said.
So now Mike, a sheet metal contractor, has enlisted in a growing movement to change the way America does business.
Whenever possible he and his men work four-day weeks - 10 hour shifts - as a way to cut costs, reduce pollution and congestion.
"It would be astronomical what states, the federal government and the nation and the world could save on energy consumption, pollution traffic congestion and everything else," he said.
Whenever possible, Mike Cummings and his men work four-day weeks as a way to cut costs, reduce pollution and congestion.
The idea isn't new one. The oil crisis of the 1970s prompted some employers to switch to a four-day work week, but the idea never took hold nationally.
These days, though, energy and congestion issues may give the concept more traction. Several petition drives for a shortened work week are now circulating on the Internet.
A handful of cities in Nevada, California and Arizona are experimenting with the idea.
The state of West Virginia is considering a four-day week for government workers there.
Working four days instead of five would mean 20 percent fewer trips to and from work, reducing gasoline consumption by an estimated 65 million gallons per day, not to mention more time with family, and for Mike Cummings, a bit more hope for the future.
"I think this would help with a lot of the planet's problems, I think it would help with our oil problems and give them a little better life," he said.
Marion County Florida recently switched to a four-day work week for county workers. They expect to save $250,000 in energy costs this year alone.
Yeah! Next thing you know, we could start requiring employers to give six weeks of paid vacation a year. Then we could call ourselves “Germany.”
18 seconds? Queue up the twightlite Zone.
Wednesday would be "Golf Day."
Years ago, I worked 3 12’s. Graveyard on the weekends.
It was a bbuster. But Monday, at noon, I got off and didn’t have to go back till midnight Friday.
It was GREAT during the summer!
I did the four (4) tens back in the late 70’s, early 80’s and the only thing that was accomplished was being able to go to the bar and drink all day Friday, rather than waiting til 5 o’clock. Actually spent more money with that extra day off.
Me too, I dream of only working a 40 hour week.
Well, most people don’t.
I’ve been suggesting this (here on FR) for quite some time.
We also need more innovative mass transit. I read, in a comfortable seat, until my stop is announced, then walk no more than 3 city blocks to my destination. Rest, relaxation, mild exercise, saves money, gives less to OPEC.
I was working 6X12 when I crashed, and landed in the ER.
Dispatcher: “Seattle Fire Deparment”
Caller: “My house is on fire!”
Dispatcher: “I’m sorry but you’ll have to call back tomorrow. All of the firemen have Fridays off”
A 20% decrease in driving results in a 40% reduction?
Obviously this reporter has a Publik Skul ejamukashun.
I know, why don't we just chain up the average working man and woman to their jobs 24-7, that way they wouldn't have to drive at all, we could put their paychecks in an account for them and turn them loose when they were 65 and hand over their trust accounts, minus room, board and special government work taxes!/SAR
or 6 for the past 4 months...!
Journalist Math or Liberal Math - basically coming up with the same unrealist static results. They never take into consideration the dynamics of changes like this. I’m like others here, I’d use the extra day off to go somewhere that would consume more gas. As it is, I’m looking into telecommuting and just salivating on where I can use that saved gas when I’m done for the day.
A girl her changed her hours to miss traffic and she is saving a lot more gas.
Yup, and since they would have a 3-day weekend they could drive 400 miles for camping, skiing, etc, and use even more gas!!
Brilliant!
Says it all!
As tens of millions in all of the cities commute in bumper to bumper traffic, just to get to their cubicles to sit and use a computer and keyboard.... When they could do this at home!!
Can anyone imagine what this would do for fuel prices, not to mention how this would piss off the A-rabs and others that are making a fortune selling fuel?
I hear you. Its a slow week if I’m only working 16 hour days 6-7 days a week. Only 3 and a half more years until I’m a civilian again and can dream of 40 hour weeks.
Does this guy actually think that nobody else has ever thought of this ? ALL the contractors I know already do this - you’d have to be stupid not to, if you have jobs that are any distance away.
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