More than 45% of BC Hydro employees make $100,000+ per yr.

[coffeeFreak]

2,667 Hydro employees made more than $100,000 last year

BY MICHAEL SMYTH, THE PROVINCE SEPTEMBER 26, 2013



As money-hungry B.C. Hydro gets set to shock your wallet with massive rate hikes, employees of the debt-ridden Crown corporation are still riding shockingly high on the hog.

A Province analysis of the Crown corporation’s payroll reveals 2,667 Hydro employees made more than $100,000 last year.

That’s more than 45 per cent of Hydro’s total workforce pulling down a six-figure salary, at a time when the government is preaching restraint and cuts.

Hydro records show 610 employees — more than 10 per cent of the workforce — made more than $150,000.

The complete list of Hydro employees banking more than $100,000 a year is posted below. It reveals a bewildering number of executives — including at least 18 vice-presidents — and surprising job titles like “cable splicer” and “trouble technician” making over $200,000.

There’s even a “driver/helper” who made over $151,000 last year!

Hydro’s top executives, meanwhile, all scored raises and bonuses despite a government wage freeze.

Hydro president Charles Reid was paid $531,521 last year ­— a 7.7-per-cent increase over the previous year. His compensation included a $57,240 performance bonus and an $85,450 pension contribution.

Other Hydro executives snagging raises and bonuses despite the cost-cutting effort include vice-presidents Chris O’Riley ($441,572 in total compensation), Greg Reimer ($438,493), Debbie Nagle ($407,320) and Cheryl Yaremko ($376,457).

It all comes just two years after a devastating public report slammed Hydro’s bloated workforce, sky-high salaries and easy-to-bag bonuses.

“They haven’t learned a thing,” said NDP energy critic John Horgan. “These salaries are running higher than the rate of inflation and much higher than compensation paid to other public servants.”

He called for an independent salary review at Hydro, saying executive salaries are especially out of whack.

He singled out Reimer, Hydro’s vice-president of transmission and distribution, whose compensation package soared more than $100,000 — a 33-per-cent increase — in just three years.

“It’s a Liberal-appointed board of directors that has allowed this stuff to happen,” Horgan fumed. “They’re feathering their own nests at the same time they threaten Hydro customers with double-digit rate hikes

Energy Minister Bill Bennett defended the lucrative pay packets, saying many of the highest-paid Hydro employees are unionized workers who collect overtime during storm-driven power failures.

“Some of them are linemen who go out in the middle of the night to put power lines back up,” Bennett said. “These are not people in suits. These are people in coveralls, steel-toed boots and hard hats.”

But Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation called that a smokescreen for an executive and management feeding frenzy that’s raged unchecked for years.

“Just scroll through Hydro’s payroll and you see a tonne of this money goes to people sitting in comfortable corner offices pushing paper.”

Bateman expressed shock at performance bonuses paid last year to Hydro executives, topping out at $89,300 paid to O’Riley, vice-president of power generation.

“There are many people who work hard every day to provide for their families, and they don’t make half of what these executives made last year in bonuses alone,” saidBateman.

But Bennett said most of Hydro’s top executives have taken on extra duties, and that’s why they’re making more money despite the government’s wage freeze.

He said CEO Reid, for example, was promoted from chief financial officer and Reimer is actually doing two jobs that were rolled into one.

“It’s naive to think we can run a huge utility without highly skilled, qualified, educated people,” Bennett said. “If we don’t pay them they’ll go to the private sector or other provinces that will pay them just as much or more.”

But those explanations fall flat with Hydro customers bracing for huge rate hikes and new fees.

A recently leaked internal document said Hydro is considering a 26-per-cent rate hike over three years. Hydro also announced a $35-a-month fee for customers who refuse to take a new smart meter.

“This is sickening,” said Sharon Noble of the Coalition to Stop Smart Meters. “Decisions are being made by people making so much money that they’re out of touch with reality.”

But Bennett said Hydro has reduced its workforce by 800 positions over three years and more reductions are possible, adding the government is looking for ways to limit the rate hike.

“We’re grinding people to find those savings and customers will see the benefits,” he insisted.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Hydro+employees+made+more+than+last+year/8959892/story.html

[flamingfingers]

^ In a nutshell:

Energy Minister Bill Bennett defended the lucrative pay packets, saying many of the highest-paid Hydro employees are unionized workers who collect overtime during storm-driven power failures.

“Some of them are linemen who go out in the middle of the night to put power lines back up,” Bennett said. “These are not people in suits. These are people in coveralls, steel-toed boots and hard hats.”

But Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation called that a smokescreen for an executive and management feeding frenzy that’s raged unchecked for years.

“Just scroll through Hydro’s payroll and you see a tonne of this money goes to people sitting in comfortable corner offices pushing paper.”

Bateman expressed shock at performance bonuses paid last year to Hydro executives, topping out at $89,300 paid to O’Riley, vice-president of power generation.

“There are many people who work hard every day to provide for their families, and they don’t make half of what these executives made last year in bonuses alone,” saidBateman.

[concernie]

(removed/off-topic - fluffy)

[Captain Awesome]

Overtime is a major driver with some positions - double or triple time is being paid sometimes when duty calls. Having third or more of your paycheck come from overtime is not unusual.

[flamingfingers]

^I agree. But an $89,300 BONUS seems pretty hard to justify, even in light of 'having to pay for the best and brightest'. I would like to see that quantified and justified. As in actually proving what he has done to earn that bonus on top of his rather extravagant salary (and benefits).

[Captain Awesome]

I would like to see that quantified and justified.

All bonuses, just like overtime, are described in details in employees' contracts.

[flamingfingers]

^And has been pointed out in previous posts, it is the managers themselves who have drawn up the criteria for eligibility in the bonus department - thus the criteria is not very stringent...

[Captain Awesome]

...it is the managers themselves who have drawn up the criteria for eligibility in the bonus department

Meaning people decide on their own bonus eligibility? I highly doubt that. It's usually the higher ups who decide what is the bonus structure and what is the edibility.

[flamingfingers]

Meaning people decide on their own bonus eligibility? I highly doubt that. It's usually the higher ups who decide what is the bonus structure and what is the edibility.

You mean a 'higher up' than this one?:

Hydro president Charles Reid was paid $531,521 last year ­— a 7.7-per-cent increase over the previous year. His compensation included a $57,240 performance bonus and an $85,450 pension contribution.

Other Hydro executives snagging raises and bonuses despite the cost-cutting effort include vice-presidents Chris O’Riley ($441,572 in total compensation), Greg Reimer ($438,493), Debbie Nagle ($407,320) and Cheryl Yaremko ($376,457).

Who?

[Captain Awesome]

You mean a 'higher up' than this one?

Yes, you can go higher than a president - board of directors in BC Hydro's case that President/CEO reports to.

So no, CEO of BC Hydro doesn't decide what his bonus will be.

[flamingfingers]

You did not answer my question - WHO? What is the criteria for determining BONUSES?

[Captain Awesome]

You did not answer my question - WHO?

BC Hydro Board of Directors, there's a number of people on it.

What is the criteria for determining BONUSES?

You'll have to take a look at his contract.

[Liquidnails]

You'll notice the paper specifically didn't highlight the executives on that list, they highlighted the "blue collar" jobs. Typical tactic to get the "average joe" jealous that people are making more than he is for what they perceive as "unskilled labor".

I think the main issue we should be paying attention to is the bloated number of executives making huge salaries and bonuses. I know the hazards and skills involved in splicing cables and performing work on live transmission and distribution lines, and I think those guys earn their wages.

[Ken7]

This does not surprise me if you stop and think. The line crews who work a 40 hour work week and then are called out on overtime. What is their current hourly rate of pay?

Begin doing the math on that one.

I recently learned a journeyman electrician in Fort Mac makes regular wages of $60.00 a hour, then put overtime onto their wages. What are your numbers when you look at it that way?

[goalie]

Energy Minister Bill Bennett defended the lucrative pay packets, saying many of the highest-paid Hydro employees are unionized workers who collect overtime during storm-driven power failures.

Haha ok whatever. How many days out of the year do storm-driven power failures happen?

he's not defending the lucrative pay packet, he's trying to blame workers overtime for the increased wages, instead of the real culprit....overpaid executives.