Transit officers to get $123K in back pay

Salaries miscalculated for past 12 years

Montreal’s transit agency has been ordered to pay seven lieutenants in its security department more than $123,000 in back pay, plus interest going back to 2001.

The seven non-unionized workers sued the Société de transport de Montréal, alleging their salaries have been miscalculated for the past 12 years.

In a Dec. 10 ruling, Quebec Court Judge Suzanne Handman sided with the workers.

She ordered the STM to pay the seven lieutenants $123,054 in back pay, plus for their legal expenses.

In addition, on $96,000 of the total, the STM has to pay interest dating back to 2001. For the rest, interest will be calculated only back to 2012.

The seven lieutenants are classified above unionized employees in the security department, including inspectors who patrol the métro to ensure fare payment.

The lieutenants are supposed to be paid 25 per cent more than the employees immediately below them — liaison officers and supervisors.

Those underlings are paid a base salary in addition to a five per cent “premium.”

The STM was paying the lieutenants 25 per cent more than their underling’s base salary. It was not factoring in the premium.

In 2010, the seven lieutenants who sued learned that, in the case of at least one other lieutenant, the STM was adding the 25 per cent to the base salary plus the premium.

The seven sued the STM, arguing they should all be getting the extra money.

After the lawsuit was launched, the STM reduced the pay for the supervisor getting the extra cash.

In court, the STM said most of the time lieutenants don’t actually have a supervisory role over liaison officers and supervisors. Some oversee department training and administration, for example.

But the court noted the lieutenants are often called upon to supervise supervisors and liaison officers.

In her decision, Handman ruled the five-per-cent premium is integrated into the subordinants’ salary and so should be included when the STM calculates the lieutenants’ salary.

The STM has 16 lieutenants, according to the ruling.

With the new adjustment, lieutenants now make about $83,700 per year, based on figures in the judgment.

That’s 25 per cent more than the $66,941 that supervisors and liaison officers make in salary and premium.

After seven years, inspectors earn $63,767 per year.

STM spokesperson Isabelle Tremblay said the agency will not appeal the ruling.

ALLEN MCINNIS/ GAZETTE FILES A court has ruled that seven lieutenants in the STM security department were underpaid and deserve back pay, plus interest and court costs.