PCS question management jobs at Housing

Representative of corporation suggests misunderstanding of position postings

MHA Jim Lester, Progressive Conservative critic for Housing, questioned the management positions at the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corp. (NLHC) Wednesday.

In a statement, Lester highlighted the Jan. 18 announcement of 14 management positions cut at the corporation and 10 managers let go (four positions were unfilled). Lester said that on Feb. 6 applications were being sought for two management positions, both at a salary range of $92,876 to $124,221.

“The minister (responsible, Lisa Dempster) did not disclose any planned hiring in a news release less than a month ago,” he stated. “Will more positions be advertised? Why is NLHC hiring after just letting people go and paying out more than $1.5 million in taxpayers’ dollars? The minister has an obligation to be transparent about their management decisions.”

The two positions posted are executive director responsible for regional operations and program delivery, and executive director for financial and corporate services.

A spokeswoman at NLHC said the cuts in January brought the number of executive director jobs within the corporation from five down to two.

The two remaining positions were essentially what was recently advertised, she explained in an emailed response.

“The salaries for the two advertised positions is not new funding, it is the salaries associated with the two remaining executive director positions,” she stated.

In his release, Lester stated an access to information response showed the earlier cuts included just over $1 million in payments in lieu of notice and just over $340,000 in severance.