Water and Light advisory board meets to discuss line worker pay

The Columbia Water and Light board met Wednesday afternoon to discuss line worker compensation.

One advisory board member, Scott Fines, said in a letter intended for the City Council, “We do not pay line workers well.”Although it has not been sent to the council, the board members and staffers of Water and Light discussed the letter, which addresses apprentices moving up in their careers with other utility companies and while the Columbia utility loses great employees.

The letter ends by saying it’s a “lose-lose-lose scenario” and calls on the City Council to consider directing the staff to find a way to compensate the electric utility’s line workers adequately.

Lucia Bourgeois, a Water and Light communication specialist, told ABC 17 News, that when discussing a change in pay for any group there also needs to be consideration for all other city employees covered by the city pay plan.

“It’s not as simple as just raising wages for line workers. It’s an ongoing process,” Bourgeois said.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board has requested that staff provide a report about turnover at the next advisory board meeting, June 6.