The province continues to rack up high overtime bills for workers in its marine transportation division, including ferry captains, mates, deckhands and marine engineers.
On the latest compensation disclosure report, a.k.a. the “sunshine list,” The Telegram identified 67 employees apparently on the marine side of Transportation and Works earning more money through overtime hours than in base salary in 2017, including six people who took home more than $75,000 in overtime pay.
In case after case, overtime drove people over the $100,000 mark in total compensation, and onto the sunshine list.
Seven people in “purser-deckhand” positions, for example, earned a salary of anywhere from $46,400 to $57,400 in 2017, but ended up over the $100,000 mark after overtime and other compensation was paid, with one individual reaching $131,900 in total compensation in the calendar year.
Of 13 captains identified on the list (nine “ferry captain II” and four “ferry captain III”), none made less than $20,000 in overtime.
How much overtime is too much? The question is not new in relation to the government-run provincial ferries, having been publicly debated this time last year (contracted services are not included in the disclosure list).
On Friday, Transportation and Works Minister Steve Crocker said little has changed from when the issue was raised after the last annual compensation disclosure.
“First of all, we’re governed by Transport Canada requirements, so we’ve got to have a certain number of persons on the vessel at all times to ensure the vessel sails,” he said.
In some cases standard disruptions and unforeseen logistical issues add to the overtime cost. There are emergency runs affecting schedules, or time required to move vessels from one site to another after a breakdown.
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“And each vessel has an associated number of hours in how the vessel operates, so lots of times when you’re moving vessels you run into overtime challenges,” he said, noting government is required to honour stipulations in its collective agreements.
As for adding new hires to possibly reduce overtime costs, the minister suggested that is not as simple as it might seem.
“We are constantly hiring in marine and the employee turnover is large,” he said. “And recruitment is a challenge. We are constantly recruiting for marine.”
He said the province remains in competition for hires with the private ocean businesses in the ocean industries.
FAST FACTS:
Marine transportation overtime
Marine workers spotted on sunshine list: 67 (not including director)
More overtime than salary: 13 of the 67 employees
Over $50,000 in overtime: 22 employees
Over $75,000 in overtime: 6 employees
Highest overtime in division: $102,900 (Ferry captain II)
(SOURCE: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador compensation disclosure report for calendar year 2017. Does not cover contracted ferry services in the province. The 22-employee count earning more than $50,000 in overtime includes the six earning beyond $75,000.)
Making the list — Marine transportation
Purser-deckhand: Seven
Steward/deckhand: Two
Marine cooks: Three
Oilers (marine): Two
Mate (first class): 14
Mate (second class): Two
Ferry captain II: Nine
Ferry captain III: Four
Marine engineer (second class): 13
Marine engineer (third class): Four
Marine engineer (fourth class): Seven
(SOURCE: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador compensation disclosure report for calendar year 2017. List includes only employees receiving $100,000 or more in total compensation, including salaries, bonuses, overtime, but also any retroactive salary, vehicle allowance, etc.)
