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TTC plans wage freeze
Move comes on heels of similar policy from mayor
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA

Mayor David Miller's wage freeze seems to be contagious.
The TTC has put a planned 3% increase on hold for its non-unionized staff and is considering the pros and cons of bringing their salaries in line with Miller's new policy.
That announcement, delivered in a memo to all TTC staff employees, came Wednesday -- days after Miller scrapped a cost-of-living increase for the city's 3,900 non-unionized staff and cancelled bonuses for his top bureaucrats who can't climb any higher on the pay scale. The TTC has 2,300 non-unionized employees.
Non-unionized staff typically got the same increase as unionized staff, TTC spokesman Brad Ross said.
A 3% increase was due to kick in next week to match the 3% a year increase the union received in arbitration last fall.
"We had made that commitment last fall," Ross said. "That has been put on hold for now."
The transit authority hasn't done away with the raises yet and would be reviewing its policies in relation to Miller's latest directive.
Along with scrapping this year's cost-of-living increase, Miller limited non-unionized city employees to a 1% cost-of-living increase next year, and again scrapped bonuses for the 2,000 or so non-unionized staff, including senior management, who are earning the top salary for their positions.
The measures were passed this week by the city's employee and labour relations committee.
City councillors are still being allowed to keep the $2,348 cost-of-living increase they got this year, hiking their pay to $99,153.
ATU 113 president Bob Kinnear said a freeze on non-union salaries won't impact his membership,which is guaranteed a 3% increase each year until March 31, 2011.
He wouldn't be surprised if TTC management tried to use the freeze in future bargaining but doubted it would make a difference in the union's position, he said.
"I prefer not to make a general statement on TTC management," Kinnear said. "But those at the high end of the salaries, particularly (TTC general manager) Gary Webster at $270,000 a year, can afford not to have an increase."
DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA