City actively hiring for vacant positions as union warns of burn out
CBC
The City of Windsor having a hard time filling positions across multiple departments as the union representing a majority of the workforce warns that staffing levels are now in a crisis situation.
Administration is projecting the city will spend $6.9 million less than originally budgeted on salaries and benefits in 2023 because of vacant positions.
Windsor's chief financial officer Janice Guthrie said that's more than usual and is caused in part by a higher number of retirements and newly created positions that haven't been filled.
"We're almost facing challenges across the board in keeping up with the filling of those vacancies," said Guthrie.
While some departments have not returned to full staffing because of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guthrie said others are taking on additional hours to make up for vacant positions.
"Certainly, yes, some employees are working overtime in order to make up for some of those vacancies, but that is not a long term strategy."
David Petten, president of CUPE 543 representing 1,400 city workers, said the inability to recruit and retain staff is a crisis that needs to addressed.
"I don't use that word haphazardly, but I'll tell you, it's not even my word. This is in conversations with managers. This is how they've described their particular circumstance to me, that they are in," he said.
Petten and Guthrie both said that the labour market has shifted after the pandemic and has made it difficult for all employers to retain and attract high quality staff.
"We have put many things into place at the city that will improve and streamline our recruitment process, our employee retention," said Guthrie.
"We have a talent management program. We have an employee appreciation awareness and we're trying to promote individuals and talents within the corporation to highlight those employees."
Petten said members want a better work-life balance, increased wages, and a better work environment.
"We have a lot of members that have reached out to us and have been reaching out to us for some time now to suggest that they are burned out, that their workload is ever increasing and the reward for doing more work is more work."
The city's contract with union members under CUPE 543 and CUPE 82 will expire next year.