FWIW, when I was in the Army in Berlin, 1961-62, the *human resources performing the work* constituted the “trick,“ headed by a “trick chief.“
The tricks were alphabetized: A, B, C, & D.
In the sense exemplified above, the standard “shift” was used, the night shift being referred to as the “mid” shift and the other two being called “day’ and “swing,“ resp.