The Unions Can Afford To Be Critical-They Get Their Increases

Miller clamps down
Mayor cancels bonuses, non-union increases
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
Luckily for city councillors, they don't work for Toronto Mayor David Miller.
He has decided to scrap cost-of-living wage increases for the city's 3,900 non-unionized staff this year, and cancel bonuses for the city's top bureaucrats who can't climb any higher on the pay scale.
City councillors, though, are being allowed to keep the $2,348 cost-of-living increase they got this year, hiking their pay to $99,153.
Miller is also limiting non-unionized city employees to 1% cost-of-living increase next year, and again scrapping bonuses for the 2,000 or so non-unionized staff, including senior management, who are earning the top salary for their positions.
Miller decided on the measures, which were passed yesterday at the city's employee and labour relations committee, after "considerable thought."
He said councillors should be allowed to keep their increase because for several years they have tied their compensation to inflation, while city staff were eligible for a 6% wage increase.
"A city councillor is paid what a policeman who gets some overtime is paid," Miller said. "It's open to members of council, if they wish, to choose not to accept the increase."
Miller and several councillors have rejected the increase. Other councillors, though, think allowing some to give back the increase isn't good enough, and argue council should be leading by example.
"We're not giving senior management the option of giving back their bonuses," Councillor Frances Nunziata said.
"I don't think we can possibly ask city staff to give up their increases when we're taking one," added Councillor Doug Holyday.
The cost-saving measures still need to be approved by council.
A memo Miller sent out to all councillors yesterday said the measures will save the city $20 million -- or one property tax percentage point -- over two years, and that the money will be set aside to buffer increasing welfare costs, as caseloads continue to rise.
The mayor's wage freeze and bonus-scrapping only applies to the city, and not to its agencies, boards, and commissions like the Toronto Police Service and the TTC.
The city's two biggest unions, CUPE 416 and CUPE 79, criticized the mayor for his treatment of the city's non-unionized employees.
"Attacking the wages of city employees, union or non-union, is not the right way to help get us through and out of the recession," said Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE 416.

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