Practically a dozen Lengthy Island Rail Highway staff are hauling in additional than $200,000 a yr in extra time alone — a mind-boggling determine that rivals Gov. Kathy Hochul’s complete wage.
The transit arm’s newest payroll data reveal {that a} slew of its unionized staff — whose strike is wreaking havoc on the metro space’s hard-working lots — are personally putting gold on the taxpayer’s expense.
Greater than 325 Lengthy Island Rail Highway staff are raking in over $100,000 a yr in extra time on high of their profitable salaries, with 11 of them netting not less than twice that massive determine in OT.
Additional time prices account for a staggering 22% of the LIRR’s payroll, famous Ken Girardin, a fellow on the Manhattan Institute suppose tank.
“Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to make use of the bully pulpit and clarify why the LIRR shouldn’t cave,’’ Girardin instructed The Submit on Sunday, referring to the MTA’s contentious contract talks with 5 LIRR unions repping hundreds of staff.
“She will begin by speaking about how, due to inefficient union contracts, the LIRR had 11 staff final yr acquire over $200,000 every in extra time,” Girardin mentioned.
“The LIRR staff are already the most effective compensated transit staff in the US,” he mentioned.
Among the many commuter railroads’ high OT kings are:
- ”Gang’’ or supervising foreman Leonardo Espinosa, who earned an eye-popping $244,954 in OT final yr on high of his $129,483 wage, bringing his complete earnings to $396,749.
By comparability, Hochul makes $250,000 yearly as governor of the state of New York, a submit that additionally makes her the de facto boss of the LIRR.
Espinosa, in the meantime, was fingered final yr as one among three dozen LIRR staff who allegedly used a pretend ID scheme to keep away from work whereas nonetheless getting paid, in response to a probe performed by MTA Inspector Common Daniel Cort.
- Gang foreman Jeffrey Davies, who hauled in $233,808 in OT on high of his base wage of $130,291, for a complete of 384,859.
- Gang foreman Steve Delacrausaz, who raked in $233,195 in extra time, to internet a complete wage of $388,151 when combining his base pay of $133,924.
- Foreman Brian Turner, who netted $229,426 in OT on high of a base wage of $131,176, incomes a complete of $378,926.
- Gang foreman Larry Younger, racking up $227,999 in OT added to a base wage of $ 130,428 for a complete of $378,869.
- Utility employee Salvatore Lazzarino, with $222,185 in OT plus his $100,306 base wage for a complete of $326,480.
- Gang foreman Jose Rodriguez, who took in $207,847 in OT along with his $130,415.56 wage, handing him a complete of $349,198.01,
- Yardmaster Peter Zoufaly, who earned $206,954.32 in OT plus his base wage of $128,529.24 for a complete of $336,010.
- Gang Foreman Dwayne Freemantle, who grabbed $204,606 in OT on high of a base wage of $130,033 for a complete of $349,278.
- Surfacing foreman Dallas Bazemore, who raked in $202,890 in OT plus his common pay of $131,163 for a complete of $337,280.11.
- Monitor foreman Lee Levine, who accrued $200,619.12 in OT on high of his $127,567.46 wage for a complete of $329,335.
In 2021, The Submit wrote a sequence of tales about OT fraud on the LIRR, which resulted in federal indictments and “OT King” Thomas Caputo getting sentenced to eight months in jail after copping to fraud theft that netted him hundreds of {dollars}.
The Empire Heart for Public Coverage, for years, has highlighted huge OT on the MTA’s businesses, which additionally embrace NYC Transit subways and buses, Metro-North and Bridges and Tunnels.
“The LIRR fraud downside has taken many varieties over time,’’ Girardin mentioned.
“The system is so distorted that it’s laborious to inform what’s authorized waste and unlawful waste.’’
The union is reportedly demanding a retroactive enhance totaling 9.5% for the previous three years and a 5% enhance this yr.
However administration is claimed to solely be agreeing to a 3% elevate this yr on high of a one-time lump-sum cost that might elevate the whole to 4.5%.
MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan mentioned in an announcement to The Submit on Sunday, “We’re outraged by these [OT] numbers.
“That’s why we’re combating laborious to place work guidelines modifications on the desk, however up to now the unions have adamantly refused to think about any modifications.’’
Gov. Hochul’s workplace declined to touch upon the OT challenge Sunday — properly into the second straight day of the shutdown for the essential LIRR commuter service.
Kyle Strober, government director of the Affiliation for a Higher Lengthy Island, cautioned that “the important thing right here is to not make a deal simply to please the unions and get the trains operating if it’s not sustainable.
Any pact must be “sustainable in the long term,” the advocate mentioned.
Strober mentioned there are three strain factors that may influence the regional financial system if the LIRR labor deal will get too expense: fare hikes, a rise within the payroll tax or the next congestion toll.
“It is going to make the area much less inexpensive and drive extra folks out of New York,” he mentioned.
An MTA supply famous that the LIRR is essentially the most closely sponsored operation on the company
It will get extra of its working funds from subsidies and taxes than town subway, buses or Metro-North, the supply mentioned.
That’s not less than partly as a result of the present work guidelines — which don’t exist anyplace in addition to the LIRR — require the MTA to spend this a lot on extra time, the supply mentioned.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has referred to as for suspending the $9 congestion pricing toll for motorists crossing into core Manhattan in the course of the strike.
Hochul retorted that there’s “really no authorized mechanism to try this.’’
