Columbia City Council voted unanimously at its meeting Monday night to approve a plan to redistribute money in this year’s budget, including giving pay raises to linemen. The bill eliminates some vacant positions, gives some pay raises and will ultimately be budget neutral.
The council heard testimony from community members who believe the bill needs to do more to provide for the workers. Columbia has had difficulty retaining linemen, and many of the people who commented argued that higher wages would lead to better retention of workers and safer working conditions.
Jim Windsor, the first to speak, questioned the council on why the suggested pay raises were below what the city’s past surveys had shown would be appropriate payment.
“This proposal is misguided and will not solve the problem,” Windsor said. “Why were the city council not provided with a report when the draft was completed five months ago? Why was the recommendation of over $37 per hour for line workers ignored?”
A group of linemans’ spouses and children also made a comment. Brittany Whilhite spoke about being a lineman’s family member and why these workers deserve competitive wages.
“In this line of work, an accident with injury is reported every three to four days. An accident with fatality is reported every 8 to 10 days,” Wilhite said. “Imagine having a job that has been ranked among the 10 most dangerous and deadliest jobs in America. This room isn’t full of linemen. It is full of unsung heroes that dedicate their lives to the line.”
Wilhite also mentioned that many of the linemen sitting in the city council chambers were currently seeking other jobs outside of Columbia where they would get higher wages.
Council member Karl Skala said while this bill isn’t perfect, it is a first step, and one that he hopes will lead to higher pay raises in the future. Council member Matt Pitzer agreed, saying that not passing the bill would be a step in the wrong direction.