JACKSON BOOSTS PAY OF ELECTRICAL LINEMEN

JACKSON -- A demand for electrical linemen has led the city of Jackson to substantially increase the salaries of linemen on the city payroll.

Jackson's electrical linemen have received a six-step pay boost in a move intended to keep them employed and put the city in the position of being able to hire new ones. Three linemen have resigned their positions with the city in the past two years, officials say.

The salary increase was made apart from the city's regularly scheduled job evaluation procedure. The evaluations are to take place this summer for increases next year. "We didn't have the luxury of waiting for that," said City Administrator Steve Wilson.

Some complaints about the salary increases for the linemen have arisen. Mayor Paul Sander said he would have preferred to stay within the pay plan the city adopted two years ago. "We didn't have a lot of choice," he said. "That doesn't make it feel any better for our other employees."

The city has five electrical linemen, two foremen and one superintendent. The starting salary for an electrical lineman with no training and no experience is now $21,388. The 15 salary steps available in the job end at a maximum of $35,290.

Municipalities around the state have been losing linemen to private companies, Wilson said, and replacing them is difficult.

An industry source said private companies have always had difficulty recruiting and retaining linemen. His company requires a three-year apprenticeship for linemen. Add the sometimes harsh working conditions and dangers of handling electricity atop a 60-foot pole, and it's a job not everyone wants or can do.

Even after the pay boost, his company's starting pay for an apprentice is still higher than Jackson's.

Jackson is one of the few cities in the area that generates its own power. The city also buys electricity from other sources.

Power distribution is one of the city's major sources of income. Another advantage of the system is having your own crews available in case of an emergency, Sander said.

The city's linemen are in charge of new line installation, maintenance and repair.

"The trend is going away from having a full-time electric crew in the city and contracting it out," he said. "But we don't feel it's in the best interests of the citizens of Jackson."

Normally, a city employee receives a one-step increase if his or her job performance meets the goals set by the supervisor. If the employee exceeds the supervisor's expectations in 70 percent of the evaluation categories, the salary can be increased two steps.

Suddenly, a few employees are jumping six steps ahead.

"It doesn't make you happy," Wilson said. "I understand that." He has explained the situation to the city's supervisors so they can relay the information to their staffs.

Sander said the consultant the city hired to evaluate its pay schedule told him the demand for electrical linemen has become much stronger in the past two years, which is why the pay for the linemen wasn't set higher in the first place.

"We intend to review all the departments this year," Sander said. "It may very well be that other departments will be deserving of additional income."