DRPA quietly gives raises to workers

The Delaware River Port Authority quietly gave 2.5 percent raises to nonunion workers in April, retroactive to the beginning of the year.

The 223 workers had not had raises in six years, and the new DRPA board chairman, Philadelphia labor leader Ryan Boyer, said when he was appointed by Gov. Wolf in March that he would advocate for pay raises.

But the raises were not publicly announced and the DRPA board did not vote on them.

Gov. Christie, who has the power to veto board actions, was informed of the raises and did not object, said DRPA board vice chairman Jeffrey L. Nash, leader of the New Jersey delegation on the bistate board.

Christie for years opposed any raises for DRPA workers and other public employees.

"We would not do it without the governor's acquiescence," said Nash.

Most of the affected workers are administrative employees and managers, from clerical workers to the chief of police, with salaries from $35,000 to $130,000. Sixty-one other nonunion workers did not receive raises because they were top executives or had been recently promoted.

The raises, which were not extended to department heads or the chief executive, will cost the DRPA about $381,700 this year. The DRPA receives its revenues from users of four toll bridges and the PATCO commuter rail line.

DRPA workers represented by labor unions, who make up about half the 866-person workforce, have received regular pay raises through labor negotiations.

DRPA chief executive John Hanson said he consulted with board members before granting the raises, but said board approval was not required.

"It's never been done with board action," Hanson said. "Within certain increase thresholds, it's in the CEO's authority to do it."

Hanson said the workers deserved raises after such a long wait, and he said the lack of increases had created problems in hiring and promotion.

"One of our biggest issues is how we attract, retain, promote, and develop employees, and compensation figures into that in a big way," he said.

Pay raises for union workers had meant some rank-and-file workers were earning more than their supervisors, he said, making it difficult to persuade workers to accept promotions.