MOOSE JAW — All out-of-scope employees with the City of Moose Jaw — including members of city administration — will receive a combined pay raise of 9.25 per cent over the next few years.
During its May 12 personnel committee meeting, city council voted to hike salaries for 50 out-of-scope (OOS) employees, with increases of 1.25 per cent for 2023, three per cent for 2024, 2.5 per cent for 2025 and 2.5 per cent for 2026.
Furthermore, effective July 1, employees in “the Job Group 11” — the directors of operations, community services and finance — will receive an additional 4.5-per-cent increase on top of the main raise. However, that amount will be applied to the salary range only and will increase their earnings potential in future years.
Besides the pay raises, the personnel committee also approved the OOS-related compensation policy, benefits policy and time away policy.
In an email, city hall said the updated policies “largely just formally capture in writing current practice,” while the main changes include a decrease in sick leave entitlement in exchange for health and dental benefit funding, similar to what CUPE Local 9 received recently; a shift from fixed yearly salary increments to variable increments based on performance appraisals; and the addition of acting pay provisions for short-term durations.
Meanwhile, a one-per-cent increase in salaries for OOS staff is equivalent to about $50,000 — so roughly $462,500 for this increase — which administration budgeted for this year, the email added. Moreover, each year the municipality sets aside money in a salary contingency fund for anticipated wage increases.
Council officially approved these changes during its May 26 regular meeting after approving the personnel committee minutes.
CUPE and the city signed a new agreement on March 31, which commenced retroactively on Jan. 1, 2023, and ends on Dec. 31, 2026. CUPE workers will receive two per cent more as of Jan. 1, 2023, three per cent more as of Jan. 1, 2024, 1.5 per cent more as of Jan. 1, 2025, and one per cent more as of July 1, 2025.
Other highlights included enhanced employee benefits, the implementation of a new joint job evaluation framework and a new pay structure, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, out-of-scope staff are generally the formally appointed leaders at city hall, including the strategic leadership team, managers, and supervisors, and are an integral component of the team that manages the city’s activities on behalf of council, the previous report said.
“These leaders play a critical role in the success of our organization and their leadership helps to reach the highest level possible, as resources allow, to maximize efficiency, effectiveness and economy as the city strives to achieve its organizational goals,” added the report.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, June 9.
