Wage freeze affects OMAFRA's non-union staff

Thursday, April 7, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

There’s only one employee with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs whose 2010 salary topped $200,000 according to the province’s public salary disclosures released last week.

Taking home $225,469.58 in salary last year, John Burke, OMAFRA’s deputy minister, is the highest paid public employee employed by OMAFRA or an agriculture-related crown agency. Burke, previously a deputy minister in the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, joined the provincial agriculture ministry in September 2010. His salary amount includes what he was paid in his previous position.

Meanwhile, at least two others in the ministry earning top salaries actually experienced slight drops in the amounts they were paid. David Hope, assistant deputy minister, special projects, saw his salary decrease by about $20,000 in 2010 to $171,706.14. Deb Stark, assistant deputy minister, food safety and environment, saw hers drop to 176,928.74 in 2010 from 182,543.11 in 2009.

“Any specific detail related to a person’s salary is information only the individual can disclose,” notes Susan Murray, a spokesperson with OMAFRA in an April 6 email. She says there is a two-year freeze on the salaries of employees that are not in bargaining units.

On the other hand, Randy Jackiw, CEO of provincial crown corporation Agricorp, had a raise of more than $8,000 last year and brought home $182,421.79. Other top Agricorp earners in 2010 were Erich Beifuss, chief financial officer ($160,118.74) and Doug Larose, chief information officer ($177,741.49).

Law requires the province to annually publish the names of public sector employees who are paid salaries of $100,000 or more. Some non-profit organizations that receive provincial funding are also required to identify employees who earn more than $100,000.

Agriculture organizations that had no salaries to report above $100,000 included the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal, the Ontario Farm Products Marketing commission, the Livestock Financial Protection Board and the Ontario AgriStability Review Committee. BF