According to newly released figures, the salary scales of senior town managers have risen by just over eight per cent since July when a majority of Sackville councillors approved a one-time raise to bring management salaries more in line with the town’s unionized workers.
Managers received the one-time, six per cent “catch-up” in addition to two per cent raises that all employees are getting as part of the six-year collective agreement the town and CUPE local 1188 negotiated this spring. Some of the increases were retroactive to December 31, 2015 when the last contract expired.
Town salaries increased by one per cent in each of the first two years (2016/2017) and will rise by another one per cent next year, followed by two years of one-point-five per cent increases and a two per cent raise in 2021, the final year of the agreement.
New management scales
To protect the privacy of individual employees, New Brunswick does not require municipalities to release precise salary figures, only salary ranges as well as general information about other benefits such as car allowances.
The new salary scales for the most highly paid managers range from $96,367 to $128,489 for Chief Administrative Officer Phil Handrahan; $82,969 to $110,625 for Town Engineer Dwayne Acton and, $62,872 to $83,829 for Treasurer Michael Beal and Senior Manager of Corporate Projects Jamie Burke.
To view a three-page summary of salary ranges and other benefits for all town employees, click here.
Although the salary scale for CAO Phil Handrahan has risen just over eight percent since July, further raises will not be tied to the collective agreement, but will be based on an annual performance review.
Councillors discussed the six per cent “catch-up” for senior managers at a closed meeting where it’s understood they were told that management staff were falling behind unionized workers who can earn overtime pay.
In 2005, council decided to tie managers’ pay raises to the collective agreement, but most councillors felt that a six per cent “catch-up” was justified this year to restore balance between the two groups of employees.
I personally think our crosswalk guards ALSO deserve an increase in salary:
“CROSSWALK GUARDS $11.00/HR TO $12.44/HR”
Same for our heavy equipment operators:
“HEAVY EQUIPMENT II $49,088 TO $61,360”
Maybe our by-law enforcement officers too:
“BY-LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER $40,302 TO $50,378”
SURELY also our fire chief (this is among the management positions)
“FIRE CHIEF $54,499 TO $72,666”
Why? These folks are our heroes, working outdoors in tough weather conditions to ensure our safety and the safety of our children. I wonder if they get a bonus in extreme cold… Sorry if I forgot other outdoor positions from the cited list.
Talking about the winter, one must admit that the Town of Sackville excels in the speed of snow removal. So again, thank you/Bravo to our town staff!
Last but not least, to come back to the Fire Chief, it is surprising that the salary range for this position is not even higher given its importance for safety. How come?
This article relates to 3 questions I posed to the mayor and CAO during the prolonged labour negotiations with the town’s unionized workers that I never did receive answers to :
1) I was told by a CUPE representative that many municipalities perform labour negotiations with their own in-house staff. What was the reasoning behind the town management’s decision to hire an outside labour negotiating consultant instead of having town staff and councillors perform the negotiations?
2) Why was the contentious issue of seniority so important to the town management when it was viewed by not just CUPE Local 1188 but all unions as a union busting tactic?
3) How much did the services of this outside consultant cost the Town of Sackville and it’s ratepayers?
Do you think we’ll ever get answers to these questions?