Allowing Fire Paramedic employees to store up unused sick days and cash out 11 months worth has become too costly for taxpayers

Fire Paramedic Service sick pay liability now over $27 million

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) called on the City of Winnipeg today to negotiate out provisions in contracts with Fire Paramedic Employees which allow employees to accumulate sick time and collect a cash payment upon retirement. Documents obtained by the CTF show the city paid out $2.1 million in 2008 in unused sick leave payouts while its sick leave liability ballooned to $27.2 million.

“Fire Paramedic employees deserve fair pay for the work they do, no one would question that,” said CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig. “But allowing the accumulation of nearly a year's worth of sick leave and eventual payout is too costly for taxpayers.”

Sick leave payouts for the last five years:

2008 - $2,118,647.29
2007 - $2,388,681.32
2006 - $1,217,595.58
2005 - $1,264,731.56
2004 -     $706,638.12

Sick leave accrued benefit obligation as of December 31 for the Fire Paramedic Service was as follows:

2008 - $27,251,000
2007 - $24,608,000
2006 - $24,905,000
2005 - $23,723,000
2004 - $22,194,000

“Just imagine if the funds used to pay out stored up sick leave went towards road repair instead,” added Craig. “Think of how many streets would become as smooth as babies’ bottoms each year.”

“Earlier this year it was discovered that firefighters were filing workers compensation claims instead of using their sick time for H1N1 cases,” continued Craig. “It all makes sense now, they were trying to preserve their sick time for payouts down the road. That shouldn't be happening.”

To view the FOI response from the City of Winnipeg, click here.

To view the Auditor’s report on firefighters’ sick leave which describes how the sick days are accumulated, click here (see item #8 on the executive policy committee agenda, bottom of page 22)

For media coverage of this release, click here.

To email the mayor and city council, use the link at our "Eliminate Winnipeg's Business Tax" campaign page.