Recent scholarly attention has turned to the imbalance of work time in the
United States. Although some workers experience overwork, others remain und
eremployed often in contingent employment. School districts across the Unit
ed States are experiencing shortages of substitute teachers, while regular
teachers experience long workdays and significant work-family conflict. Wit
hout the ability to recruit more substitutes, many districts propose soluti
ons to classroom coverage problems that involve a time transfer from a grou
p of substitute teachers to regular teachers through reducing the districts
' reliance an substitutes and extending teachers' work hours. Although subs
titutes who were interviewed expressed a desire for more reaching hours, th
ey were constrained by their need to make a living either through multiple
jobs or finding a higher wage job. This case study demonstrates the process
through which a time transfer is proposed contested by teachers, and ultim
ately adopted without challenging the disparities between these groups of t
eachers.