Four-day work week is madness

They have done it again! The Colville Business Council, in their infinite wisdom, have once again tried to help by passing resolution # 2019-569 and disrupting the lives of the employees. The four-day work week and ten-hour day has been tried once last century and again in 2009. They failed. There is a reason they failed. Because of the undue hardship on employees.

TERO should have been the first to speak out against it, but their silence is deafening. They are supposed to protect the employees against unethical and unlawful acts by employers. This is a harmful thing to ask employees. TERO should have spoken to the council when they heard of it.

The two thirds of the employees working at the Nespelem Office drive over three mountain passes as high or higher than Snoqualmie Pass. They are asked to get up before the sun’s up and go home after it’s down, and make the babysitter get up and stay longer. Let’s not forget it will probably cost more than $200 a week more in childcare. I can only ask, where is everyone on Friday?

The Tribal Council is getting three times their salary — are they earning it? This action makes you think what they are trying to do turn the Reservation into a corporate white workplace. You’re already calling yourself after a white guy, you don’t have to do this.

The employees have enough problems to deal with; Stop the Madness!

Revoke Resolution #2019-569, NOW!

Arnie Marchand

an Okanagan Indian

and Member of the

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation