Councillor shared wrong information about salaries, says mayor Dennis O'Keefe
Mayor says average salary for unionized staff is $62,000, not $95,000 as suggested by Art Puddister
The mayor of St. John's says a city councillor gave out wrong information about how much city staff are paid, and Dennis O'Keefe says that's led to questions and confrontations.
O'Keefe issued a statement Friday in response to comments made by Coun. Art Puddister in a CBC On the Go interview Tuesday, saying the salary numbers had been inflated.
O'Keefe said the average salary of unionized city employees is $62,000, not the $95,000 quoted by Puddister.
He says more than 50 per cent of city workers are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) or the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE).
"Since the announcement of the budget, many city staff have been questioned and confronted about their salaries," said O'Keefe in his statement.
"We stand behind our employees and want them to know that the statements made by Councillor Puddister do not reflect the position of the majority of council nor our senior staff. We wish to make it clear that our staff are fairly and equitably compensated for their service."
Later on Friday, the mayor's office provided more precise salary information — inside workers with CUPE Local 1289 average $65,037, outside workers CUPE Local 569 average $63,196 and the average for all city staff including non-union is $73,292.
Union says wages reflect skill
The city employs roughly 1,200 people, and the 2016 budget includes an annual payroll of about $111 million a year.
"We have the best place in the province to work for. Better than the provincial or federal governments," said Puddister on Tuesday.
"I think we need to review all of our expenses, including our wage package," he added.
CUPE national representative Derrick Barrett told CBC Friday that the salary information from the mayor is more accurate than the numbers used by Puddister.
"To be honest, I was shocked. I could not believe where that number was coming from," said Barrett, adding that the union took calls from members "who were upset by Puddister's comments."
He said CUPE did not ask the mayor to issue a statement, but O'Keefe may have spoken to individual union members.
The union will meet with council next week to discuss how the budget and service cuts will affect staff who now do those jobs.
