KINGSTON, ON. – After MPP Ted Hsu tabled two written questions to the Ontario Minister of Transportation on Oct. 25, 2022, regarding the hiring of agency workers for the Wolfe Island ferry, the Ministry has just responded by disclosing the following figures:
The total number of hours worked by agency workers from June 26, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2022, was 2,786 hours. The total cost of agency workers from June 26, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2022, was $241,337.03, broken down as follows:
- Salary: $163,809.45
- Per Diem (including administrative costs and transportation): $76,741.97
- Administration Fees: $785.61
The hourly wages of unionized ferry workers range from approximately $23 per hour for a deckhand to $38 per hour for captains. Based on these figures, the hourly cost of a temporary agency worker was $86.62 per hour.
MPP Hsu said, “Regular Wolfe Island ferry workers are covered by Bill 124, which has suppressed wages and kept them far below wages in the private sector. Premier Ford has mismanaged the labour shortage and contributed to disruptions and delays in ferry service by allowing ferry workers to be scooped up by the private sector. In the end, just like for nurses, his government has had to hire back temporary agency workers at a far higher cost in money and worker morale. This government is not, as its slogan says, “working for workers.” Instead, it’s proving that it can’t be trusted to address the real issues such as staffing shortages and economic disruptions.”
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