A Shorter Work Week For Big Gas Savings

(CBS)  While most of Birmingham, Ala., motored to work, Brannon Dawkins wasn't burning gas in rush hour.

She was painting her sister's nursery. Dawkins now works four ten-hour days a week at her job at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports.

"It's leaving at five vs. six and not having to sit in traffic and idle all the way home," Dawkins said. "I've really seen a difference in my gas tank."

The city of Birmingham just took that step for almost 2,500 employees.

Every week, they'll work four 10-hour days.

The city's mayor says it's all about gas prices.

"My car comes first. I'll eat later,' said Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford. "At some point, America is going to have to come to grips with the real world."

Next month, almost all Utah state government will shut down on Fridays, a $3 million yearly saving.

There are 1,376 U.S. cities with at least 25,000 people.

One recent survey estimated 1/6 of them now have four days in the work week.

"It's pretty clear to me that more and more people are considering it every day," said Professor Rex Facer of Brigham Young University. "We've been getting phone calls every day from new governments and private firms as well that are thinking: 'how can we do this?'"

In Birmingham, Carolyn Turner can now do her commute more cheaply. Hers is fairly typical, about thirty miles to her staff job in City Hall.

With gas at $4 a gallon, she could save $500 a year.

"I was the first in the office to raise my hand, 'please, please let me do it!' because I was really feeling the pressure," Turner said.

For real gas savings, Birmingham commuters have few options. Its mass-transit system, mostly buses, is not in good shape - like most other U.S. cities. And there's no light rail.

"Buses are horrible," Mayor Langford said. "They break down every 25 miles, if that much."

On the four days she goes to the office, Brannon Dawkins also now car-pools.

It's one more adjustment to keep the work commute from busting the budget.

[slim1h2o]

For those that didn''''t pay attention to what the Mayor ''''really'''' said, He was making a sarcastic remark and viewpoint.

Posted by ToolMangler

I guess thats where I lost that step I guess.

[barbaram99]

Yes,tool, when I read that line it made me of a person I know who really told me I got to have my car and I told Bill to take the bus. He is too good to.

[barbaram99]

The real world .our daily living things are made in China, look at yer mice,Made in Chian..Just about every thing. Can ye carpool, I did not TAKE that mayor as joking. The govt uses the most gas. Every thing we use,eat, wear uses fuel. I am thinking of we the American people . The poor mainely,the working po0or that get kick in the teeth.

[bobnjersey]

[Since a four day work week may benifit the average American worker, it will be shot down on principle alone by our current leaders who try to treat the average American worker like a draft horse, get as much work out while feeding them as little as possible.]
[Posted by ianlou at 11:01 AM : Jul 11, 2008]

but there''s another way to exploit this. let everyone work 10 hour days for the first four days ... putting in the obligatory 40 hours for the week.

but wait ... there''s a looming deadline ... and yet there''s more work to do ... so ... can you come in on friday to fill the gap ... you''re a team player, right?

[kevzgrl]

Those of us who live in rural areas without mass transit do not have the "option" of taking the bus or light rail or streetcars (like the mayor of Columbus, OH is proposing) we have no CHOICE but to drive and pay the horrendous costs that the gas companies charge.
Here in Ohio, state employees had the possiblity of the "flex" or compressed work week for 18 years, as long as the office they worked in had sufficient coverage for the phones - and GOOD managers worked it out equitably, so that the days off rotated and phone coverage was maintained. However, not all managers/supervisors were willing to work a little harder to work that kind of schedule out, and some idiot in Columbus got the bright idea that state services should be "standardized" so we now work Monday-Friday 8AM to 5PM. Heaven forbid if you are a customer and NEED hours outside of that schedule - you can''t get anyone. How do I know this? I worked Monday-Thursday 7AM to 5:30PM - I could be reached by the customer who works 8-5 or the employer who needed extra time to provide information needed. Now, those people are just out of luck - we end up playing telephone tag and the quality of the work we do is dropping (unemployment claims) because we can''t always reach people or employers when we need to, to get the information we need to rule claims fairly and correctly. But, by God, we are STANDARDIZED!!! Great foresight, there, Mr. Strickland!

[xmanborg]

I drive a Honda Fit that gets 38mpg hwy and 34city. I can go 3 weeks without putting gas in the tank.

How about them their Big SUVs now with $4.25 gas.

[toolmangler-2009]

%u201CMy car comes first. I%u2019ll eat later,%u2019 said Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford. %u201CAt some point, America is going to have to come to grips with the real world.%u201D



For those that didn''t pay attention to what the Mayor ''really'' said, He was making a sarcastic remark and viewpoint.

[barbaram99]

We would have a good mass transit systems and cars that got good miles if the govt spent the money and not on wars. I have to wait and wait for bus here in Seattle. Blame this mess the nanny govt. They could learn a thing or 2. What it is like for the poor and yes I know that. Yes I did read that. It is the story all over this nation. Ye put a nice system in and the people won''t keep it clean. I am aware that people have to drive and it is a rip and we all pay. I am 53.

[barbaram99]

I was born in and lived in small town with no mass transit in Maine and other places. Ye know what I had to do,WALK every where..That right yer read right. I am aware there places that don''t have the bus. I was addressing that mayor. W

[observer2020]

I have a 84-mile commute everyday. I''ve checked with the "mass transit" system where I reside and it would take approximately 5 hours in the morning and 5 hours in the afternoon for my commute. That would be 10 hours a day on a bus and 8 hours a day at work, so that leaves me with 5 hours at home, including sleep time. I''ll spend 3 hours a day in my car, thank you very much. Mass transit needs fixing before it becomes feasible in rural areas. I hear they have it pretty much nailed down in cities, but I don''t live or work in or near a city.