per piece manning
n.— «In fire safety circles, “per piece manning” is the term for the approach that the union and mayor have endorsed in negotiations to settle a contract that expired last July. McKay explained how “per piece manning” would change deployment, which traditionally in Gloucester has emphasized spreading the available firefighters on a shift as broadly as possible in an effort to keep teams in the outlying stations. With per-piece manning, McKay said, the teams might arrive from headquarters somewhat later than if deployed from a neighborhood station, but when they get to a fire, their capacity to fight it and remain safe would be maximized.» —“City, firefighters union negotiate contract based on new model” by Richard Gaines Gloucester Daily Times (Massachusetts) Mar. 14, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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