StuckMic:
Our schedules used to be 5-4 (5 on, 4 off) and 8 hour shifts with a minimum of 8 hours between shifts. When everything was standard for everyone it added a lot of flexibility, in that it was very easy to make shift changes, etc. Now a typical work cycle is 6-3, 6-3, 5-5. There are some slight variations of this but you always end up working 17-11 and you have to have a minimum of 10 hours between shifts. There's also a lot of assigned over-time because of staffing shortages. By law, the most we can work is 9 on and 1 off. Believe me this does happen, a lot! Shift lengths now vary between 7 hours and 9 hours. You do get assigned some 10-12 hour shifts, or if we're short staffed you can be forced to stay beyond your regular shift, but cannot work longer than 12 hours. Making a shift change now is nearly impossible, it usually requires 3 or 4 guys willing to move around, and you can imagine how that plays out! The shift scheduling program is designed to have the exact number of controllers required for that time of day, but if one person calls in sick, you're now running short, if 2 or more are sick (and this does happen) you're f#@ked! The program doesn't account for this, and then on days when you have bad rides and bad weather, who wants to run at bare bones staff?
Nav Canada didn't make changes to the retirement or benefits packages, touch wood!