City Hall releases staff and workers' year-to-date pay totals

By Mark Squibb/August 19, 2022

In light of a recent ATIPP request, the City of Mount Pearl announced it has released salaries for all City staff – including striking CUPE members — going back to mid-2020.

“The City of Mount Pearl has chosen to exercise proactive disclosure in response to an Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (ATIPP) request received last month for the earnings of all City employees, including wages and overtime,” explained Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley during last week’s meeting. “And as a municipality we remain open and transparent to our taxpayers and as such as made the decision to proactively disclose all wage information.”

Kieley said the City released the gross pay, including total pensionable earnings and total additional earnings for 2020, 2021, and 2022 year-to-date.

However, only part of 2020 is reported, said Kieley, due to a switch to a new payroll system and reporting limitations within the prior system.

“As stated previously, Mount Pearl has a competitive and attractive total compensation package, and we value the work of all employees,” said Kieley.

Documents released by the City show the Director of Engineering & Sustainable Development, the City’s highest paid employee, earned a gross income of $117,606 from January 1 until July 26, 2022. Two other City employees earned over $100,000 in gross income by July 26, 2022: The CAO earned $108,333, while the Director of Recreation & Community Safety earned $107,178.

If you do a search of those positions on the City’s website, you may not find them exactly as recorded on the payroll documents. This is because, according to City staff, the City restructured its departments in 2022. So, for example, the position listed on the payroll document as Director of Engineering & Sustainable Development is listed on the website as the Director of Planning, Engineering, and Development. The website, said City staff, has the accurate position titles.

In 2021, the Director of Engineering & Sustainable Development earned $203,974, the Director of Recreation and Community Safety earned $185,314, and the CAO earned $154,561.

The documents show in 2022 show hourly wages for public works staff and some office staff, including accountants ($32.76), lead hand mechanics ($36.12), mechanics ($34.39), recycling collectors ($30.43), lead hand water and sewer workers ($34.39), water and sewer workers ($30.43), equipment operators ($30.43), arena attendants ($29.18), animal control officers ($29.33), lifeguards ($22.89), and others. The document details whether the position is part time, full time, and temporary, or seasonal.

Councillor Jim Locke suggested the City disclose employee wages on an annual basis.

Mayor Dave Aker noted many salaries are in the $20 to $30 an hour range, and that most employees work about 37-and-a-half hours a week.

Director of Corporate Services Cassie Pittman agreed that office workers typically work 37-and-a-half hours, while the majority of public works and full-time aquatic employees work 40 hours.

“So, then you can add on to that over time and you can add on to that as well another 20 to 25 percent for benefits,” noted Aker. “Both the deputy mayor and councillor Locke referred to the fact that some of the cost that the City bears is not just the wages that go to our employees, but what we call payroll burden, the City’s share of the matching contributions for pensions as well as for health and dental. And we have other things we pay as well. We pay shift premiums and the shift differentials and overtime.”

Aker then asked what typical overtime rates were.

Pittman explained that anything over 40 hours a week would be double time.

“So, for example, if a member of the public works team gets called in on the weekend, typically that would be a double time call out,” said Pittman. She then circled back to Aker’s comments about total cost compensation. “We worked in about a 37 percent increase, so, in addition to wages, our total cost of compensation is 37 precent higher than wages to account for things like our pension contribution, benefit contribution, and total cost of employment.”

Aker asked Pittman about wage increases.

“I don’t think our management staff have had any increase in the last two years; what has been the increase given to CUPE the last four years?” asked Aker.

 “This contract, 2018 to 2022, was a four percent overall wage increase,” said Pittman. “So, the most recent increase would have been July 2022, which was a two percent on the tail end of this currently expired agreement. We’ve been in a manager wage freeze for the last two years, so our management wages have been frozen, as we attempted to work with some challenges on the City’s revenue stream.”

Aker said that up to 2022, the City’s wage increases have outpaced inflation rates.

Councillor Bill Antle applauded the disclosure but noted that salaries of council members were not included. He asked that those salaries, including council expenses, be included.

“As councillors or as mayor, we don’t get a pension,” added Antle. “I want to make sure that that’s clarified in this piece of information.”

Councilors concerned over costs of empty bus rides

By Mark Squibb/August 19, 2022

During last week’s public council meeting, the City was in receipt of an invoice of $51,438 from MVT Canadian Bus for bus services in June, including Go-Bus and paratransit routes.

In June, explained Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley, the City paid for 110 paratransit trips, 380 GoBus trips, and 67 ‘no-shows.’

Those no-show charges caught the attention of councillor Isabelle Fry.

“So, we’re charged for no-shows?” asked Fry. “Seems like an awfully high number to me… I’m concerned for two reasons. First of all, I know a lot of times, when residents are looking to use the GoBus, there are some frustrations when the GoBus is more than an hour — or two, or three — late. So, if a resident wants to go to an appointment, they book a GoBus accordingly, and if the GoBus doesn’t show up in time, you miss your appointment or you find alternate arrangements. Is that considered a no-show at that point?”

Fry said her second concern was that the City was spending money on bus trips even if there was nobody onboard.

“This is something that we need to look further into,” said Fry, who added she believed the City of St. John’s was looking into that exact same matter already.

Mayor Dave Aker said he believed the number of no-shows hovered at around five percent.

“But I think it’s built into the contract that if the bus moves, somehow it has to be paid,” said Aker. “So, MVT gets reimbursed. But I take councillor Fry’s concerns. You know, you never like to see a bus being paid for by taxpayers’ money that’s going empty.”

Director of Corporate Services Cassie Pittman said the matter is under review, and any further information uncovered can be sent back to council for consideration.

In June, said Pittman, there were 41 paratransit no-shows and 26 Go-Bus no-shows.

City doubles down on negotiation position

By Mark Squibb/August 12, 2022

With the ongoing CUPE Local 2099 strike now in it’s fifth week, neither the City nor the union seem willing to budge on their respective positions.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley brought forward an update on the negotiations during this week’s council meeting, which was held remotely and not at City Hall due to the strike.

“As a committee we acknowledge and understand the impact this labor disruption is having an effect on us all,” said Kieley, a member of the Corporate Services and Public Works committee. “We see that the fields of our community are empty, our facilities are closed, and programming is suspended, and we are being asked by many of you to get back to the table and get a deal. And let me be very clear and say, that is what we want as well.”

She said Mount Pearl employees receive competitive wages, a defined benefit pension plan, severance entitlement after 10 years of service, health and dental benefits, and a “more than reasonable sick leave allocation.”

“The City of Mount Pearl will always be a great place to work for both existing and new employees,” said Kieley. “As a steward of taxpayers dollars, it’s our job to ensure that our ongoing operations remain sustainable, and can be delivered within our existing budgets, and we do believe this can be achieved.”

Councillor Jim Locke then gave a financial update, referring back to the City’s 2021 audited financial statements, which painted a bleak picture of the City’s financial position in light of picketer’s demands.

“Last year, the City experienced a decrease in revenue coupled with an increase in expenses, and this is important for council to consider as we are now moving into the fifth week of the current labor disruption,” said Locke. “The decisions that we make now are going to have a lasting effect on the cost of operations for the short, the medium, and the long term for the City. And when this council brought forward the 2022 budget, we were open, and we were transparent about the budget pressures that the City is experiencing. With no anticipated increases in revenue for 2022, our mandate at the time, when we brought down the budget, was to maintain the current level of expenditure, while at the same time, striving to meet the changing needs of our community. And that objective remains intact as we negotiate out new collective agreement.”

Locke then pulled some detailed numbers out of the financial statement.

“The City’s revenue is not growing, and while we maintain a strong tax base, our taxation revenue has decreased year over year,” he noted. “Tax revenue is down over $2 million dollars in just a couple of years. Tax revenue hit a peak of $46.9 million in 2020. This decreased to $44.5 million in 2021, and is projected to be $44.1 million in 2022.”

Locke echoed Kieley’s comments on Mount Pearl’s competitive wages and benefits.

“But that high level of service comes at a cost,” said Locke. “Payroll expenditures remain the City’s largest expense, representing over $19.3 million dollars in 2021, which is just over 36 percent of the city’s overall budget. The cost of payroll related expenses had increased over $2 million dollars since 2018, and just over $ 6 million dollars in the last eight years since 2014. So, based on the reality of our reduced revenue and our rising cost of service delivery and payroll related expenditures, we must reach a collective agreement that can be delivered within our existing budget.”

Like Kieley, Locke acknowledged the strike is having a major impact on residents, and said he hoped an agreement can be reached soon.

Striking union members are picketing against a proposition by the City that new hires receive 12 paid sick days per year instead of the 21 sick days existing employees receive (which they say creates a two-tiered system), and a reduction in paid sick days from 21 to 18 for existing employees. The union also snubbed the City’s offer of a five percent pay increase over four years.

Mount Pearl spends over $43,000 on video surveillance

By Mark Squibb/August 12, 2022

City Hall is keeping an electronic eye on picketers as CUPE Local 2099 members continue to strike with no end in sight.

At this week’s public council meeting, the City was in receipt of two separate invoices from Provincial Investigative Services for video/security services, one for $24,880 and one for $19,029, for a total of $43,909.

“Notably there are two invoices from Provincial Investigative Services,” Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley pointed out to council during this week’s council meeting. “This is reflective of video surveillance costs from the current labor disruption. These services are instrumental in ensuring the safety of our workers crossing picket lines and performing the work of our city during this time.”

In other strike news, councillor Bill Antle noted that over 600 refunds have been issued because of the closure of facilities and cancellation of memberships and aquatics programs up to August 7 because of the strike, and that there are more to come.

“If you’ve registered or paid online, you should have received refunds automatically,” said Antle. “Anyone who registered or paid in person, would have been contacted regarding their refund. Please be patient as we’re working as fast as we can to get it all done.”

Additionally, the City continues to provide refunds weekly for cancelled facility bookings each week.

The strike, which was declared on Thursday, July 7, entered it’s fifth week on Thursday, August 12, with neither side budging from their respective positions.

Bevy of streets in for small repairs

By Mark Squibb/August 2, 2022

Mount Pearl City council approved Modern Paving Limited to complete some road repairs around the city for a bid price of $270,129 (HST Included).

The request for proposals closed on June 6 and two bids were received.

There was no discussion on the matter and the motion was passed unanimously.

The Pearl requested further clarification from the City, and in a follow up e-mail learned that the tender is for general isolated repairs on Centennial Street, Smallwood Drive, Kyle Avenue, Winston Avenue, Corey King Drive, Edinburgh Drive, Forest Avenue, Valleyview Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Parsons Avenue, Penmore Drive, Norma's Avenue, Topsail Road, and Topaz Place.

Strike disruption leaves some families in swim program feeling all wet

By Mark Squibb/August 5, 2022

When parents heard that swimming lessons, both four-week and eight-week sets, had been officially cancelled in Mount Pearl due to the ongoing strike by City workers, it seems their concern was whether they would have to re-register for lessons once the strike ends.

Councillor Isabelle Fry brought forward that concern during last week’s public meeting.

“I had a resident ask about the swimming cancellations and one of the difficulties they had when trying to register their kids for swimming is trying to get a spot, so they were wondering, when it’s rescheduled, will it be rescheduled for the same participants?” asked Fry. “Or will it be all from scratch again?”

The question went to Recreation and Community Safety Director Jason Collins.

“Unfortunately, we’ll be starting from scratch again,” said Collins. “Where this was part way through some lessons for some, and for some it hadn’t started, it was only a short four-week set, so we would do a full restart, and everyone would register again.”

Fry said that decision was “too bad,” while Mayor Dave Aker said that in the past the City has always worked with people to get them slotted in.

“In most cases, residents would get a spot and very few times, as you just indicated, a resident would not get a swimming spot,” said Collins. “It may not be their preferred (spot), but there’s always room for a spot for a participant.”

Aker said the City’s commitment is that no child will go without swimming lessons.

Councillor Jim Locke said he had heard the same concerns from residents, and he wondered if the schedule could just ‘spring forward’ once lessons resume so that folks can hold onto their spot.

“Their question was, can we just move the registration, rather than try and vie to get another spot, because their concern was that they may not get another spot,” said Locke, who added the City is ‘generally able’ to accommodate residents.

“So, we can’t just simply move the registration forward, but we’re confident that all of our children will be able to receive a spot for swimming lessons when they do resume, is that a safe assumption, Mr. Collins?” asked Locke.

“It is, but just a complicating factor for summer lessons is that summer lessons are reduced number wise,” said Collins. “Typically, there’s less registered. So, right now we’ve cancelled the July set, and the July and August set, the one that’s eight weeks. If, for instance, the next set of lessons starts in September, peoples’ schedules are totally changed so it might work for twenty precent of the people, but when it comes to school and fall and everything else, for many people it wouldn’t work, so it’s best, we feel, to just start from scratch and people would register again.”

Locke allowed that going back to open registration, with the confidence that residents should be able to secure a spot, made sense given how much people’s schedules will change in the fall.

Councillor Bill Antle noted that folks who have registered and paid online will automatically receive their refunds, while those who registered or paid in person will be contacted regarding their refund.

A decision regarding cancellation of fitness programs, such as aqua fit, deep-water fitness, Sculpt, and yoga, will be made in the coming weeks.

City issues statement addressing ongoing strike

By Mark Squibb/July 29, 2022

While other communities go full tilt with summer festivities and Come Home Year celebrations, Mount Pearl is focused on more mundane tasks like getting garbage collected in a timely manner, due to a union strike that has led over 200 CUPE workers to the picket lines.

The City issued a statement on Friday July 22, regarding the strike, which entered it’s fourth week this Thursday.

“The City of Mount Pearl respects the right of its unionized workforce to strike,” read the release. “They have the right to picket and the right to respectfully protest the City’s position within collective bargaining. However, in 2022, no one has the right to bully, intimidate, humiliate, or disrespect the non-bargaining workforce who are crossing the picket line each day to go to work.”

The release alleges that “there have been repeated instances of disrespectful behaviour that continue to go beyond legal picketing to bullying and intimidation. City managers, contracted workers, and staff with community groups have been followed, filmed, and physically confined while being ridiculed, taunted, and berated,” and calls upon CUPE Local 2099 to immediately stop such behaviour.

The release echoes the words of Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker, who told media outlets, including The Pearl, that there had been reports of picketers bullying and harassing staff members as they went to work.

In an interview with The Pearl last week, CUPE Local 2099 President Ken Turner said those accusations were a mere tactic used by the City to turn the general public against picketers.

In speaking with The Pearl, Aker said that City benefits are ‘second to none,’ including 42 days of paid leave (21 sick-days, 14 paid holidays, and seven special leave days) along with 15 to 30 days of annual vacation.

Those benefits, along with many others, are reiterated in the City’s statement — including management’s proposal that sick leave be reduced from 21 to 18 days for existing employees and that new hires receive 12 sick days instead of 21.

Turner, along with other union leaders both local and national, who spoke at a rally last week, said they refuse to accept a two-tiered system.

The City maintains that changes to the health and dental plan for either current or new employees has never been tabled.