How do other people beat the system?

A while ago, my work changed a lot of shifts, including mine, from a nice, cushy day shift to a sucky noon-8:30 shift. Yesterday me and this other guy, Peter, were working and it was 7 or 8. When one of us remarked that the rest of our team had already left. This means they somehow got changed back to a premo shift.

"I feel stupid. How were they able to beat the system?" Inquired Peter (or something like that, this is not a direct quote).

Good question. It's not as if I haven't complained. It's not as if I haven't put in a shift change request form. It's not as if they have better excuses.

My ideal scheduel:

• At least some days off in common with Adam. That means weekends. Preferably the whole weekend like the rest of the universe still seems to.
• No working past 5:30 or 6. Especially on Fridays so I can actually go to my writer's group.
• Have maybe ten fewer hours than I have right now.