Former Columbia Water & Light director says line worker pay issue a “crisis”

A former assistant director of Columbia Water & Light said that many electric line workers are leaving the city to other utilities for better pay.

“The lack of competitive pay for electric line workers has created an immediate threat to system reliability,” Jim Windsor said. “We view this situation to be a crisis.”

Windsor, who retired from the city in March, spoke to the Columbia City Council about the issue on Monday. Windsor, alongside several other former utility workers, said the exodus of line workers to nearby utility companies leave line crews understaffed. The city’s benchmark for line crews is 19 line workers and 10 apprentices. The city currently has 13 line workers and 8 apprentices.

“When vacations and sickness or injury are added in, productivity and safety are a serious concern,” Windsor said.

Line workers, like other city workers, have not seen substantial pay raises in years, Windsor said. The midpoint salary for an apprentice in Columbia is around $56,723 a year, $63,813 for journeyman line workers and $71,790 for a foreman. Windsor said some foreman can make more money as a lineman in nearby utility companies.