City council to decide if crossing guards should get a pay hike, be outsourced

The City of Windsor says it's becoming increasingly difficult to recruit crossing guards, so administration is proposing a pay increase as an incentive.

It's one of the items up for consideration in Windsor's 2020 budget.

Right now, crossing guards are paid $8.12 per half hour, but the public works department is recommending that it go up to $10 per half hour.

Bill Kralovensky, the City's coordinator of parking services, explained that the increase would help Windsor "immensely" when it comes to recruiting new staff.

"It's pretty hard to get people to buy on for basically an hour a day ... half hour in the morning, half hour at the end of the school day," he said. 

On average, 3 to 6 people call in sick each day

"So, if we can entice them a little bit more to an even $10, hopefully that helps us get our corners guarded and that way, safer for the children," he said.

Kralovensky added that many individuals take the job because they enjoy being outdoors, but for 50 per cent of staff, they need the money to get by. 

"It doesn't seem like a lot, but for some people it is a lot. So, we're trying to help them out a bit that way as well," he said.

Right now, Windsor has 56 guarded corners throughout the city, with 62 guards watching them, plus an additional 10 guards who are on standby in case someone calls in sick — which happens often and puts a strain on the city. 

According to budget documents, on average, there are three call-ins per day when the weather is good, and six call-ins per day in inclement weather. 

Outsourcing is another option

The reason for this, Kralovensky explained, is because most guards are senior citizens who might have a difficult time in tough weather conditions. 

"Sometimes on a crummy day, snowy, rainy day, some of them, they don't feel like going out there to stand out in the rain, stand out in the snow," he said. 

"It's a pretty tough job in the elements constantly."

But with only 10 guards on standby, on a bad weather day, that list of back-up options "gets exhausted pretty quickly," he added.

Another option the City will be looking at, to alleviate some of the pressure in those instances when guards do call in sick or are unavailable to work, is to outsource the work to a third-party agency.

"That way, it's on them to fill the corners if 'Corner A' calls in sick and they can't be there," Kralovensky explained.

City council will conduct final deliberations on the 2020 budget during meetings on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28.