PoCo council debates higher wages for election workers

Port Coquitlam is a living wage employer – but are election workers city employees?

That question was the centre of debate Tuesday, as council discussed recent changes around how election workers are paid.

Formerly, the workers who mind the ballot boxes on election day were paid a flat rate ranging from $275 to $325, with the supervisor taking home $375. But following a recent decision from the Canada Revenue Agency, election workers must now be treated as city employees rather than independent contractors.

Under Port Coquitlam’s living wage policy, election workers would earn $27.85 per hour plus overtime during the roughly 14-hour shift.

Given the “unique situation” of working one day every four years, Mayor Brad West suggested council might want to give the living wage policy “some variation.”

“I’m actually talking myself into the idea that the city should actually not follow the policy in this respect,” he said.

Generally, election workers take the job because they want to do it.

“None of them would consider themselves to be employees of the city,” he said.

Couns. Steve Darling and Nancy McCurrach took a different view.

“We are a living wage city and I would maintain that,” McCurrach said.

“It’s not hard work but it certainly is important work,” Darling said.

Working the election is also a chance for young people to sock away money for school, Darling added.

The total pay for Port Coquitlam election workers for the October election is projected to be $53,315 – an increase of $27,700.

“It’s not a huge amount of money,” Darling said.

Coun. Darrell Penner disagreed.

“Twenty-seven thousand bucks would buy us a lot of rain barrels, a lot of trees, and bear locks,” he said.

Penner suggested the issue should come back to allow council to consider their options.

The city is expecting to need about 85 workers for election day.

“To compete with other municipalities for staff it is necessary that the city ensure its compensation rates are on par with other municipalities,” stated a city staff report.