Fifteen Staten Island Ferry workers became millionaires after the city inked a long-stalled union contract in September 2023. These workers received seven-figure paydays, thanks to hefty raises and lump sums for 13 years of back pay. City taxpayers contribute at least $108 million annually to the free ferry that operates between St. George and lower Manhattan.
The highest-earning worker was Mark Tettonis, a chief marine engineer who received $1,689,518 last fiscal year. Similarly, Timothy Wood, another chief marine engineer, pocketed $1,559,299. Wood had previously been suspended and demoted in 2015 for sleeping on the job during rush hour, but a judge later overturned his demotion, stating that there was no prohibition on closing one’s eyes while on duty.
The city paid a total of $32.7 million to 30 current and retired chief marine engineers and project managers. This significant sum included back pay, lump-sum bonuses, and fringe benefits worth over $21 million. The 30 employees each received over half a million dollars, making them the highest-paid city workers last fiscal year, with 18 of them becoming millionaires.
The decision to raise the prevailing wage rates for chief marine engineers in the public sector was made by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. Lander determined that these workers should have been earning $64.61 an hour in 2010, similar to their private sector counterparts. However, they were actually making $40.32 per hour, with their pay rate set to increase to $79.71 by 2022. Critics have called out the decision as looting New York taxpayers and favoring public employee unions.
Despite criticism, the Department of Transportation spokesperson defended the workers’ high earnings as deserved due to years of working without pay bumps. The city faced a deficit of over $10 billion, but the contract negotiated is retroactive from November 2010 through January 2027, costing taxpayers $103 million, including $53 million in additional expenses.
The massive payouts to Staten Island Ferry workers have stirred controversy and criticism from taxpayers and watchdog organizations. The workers, including chief marine engineers, received significant pay increases and lump sum bonuses after a long-stalled union contract was finally signed in 2023. The decision to raise wages for these workers, retroactive to 2010, has been seen as excessively generous and not in line with private sector practices. Despite the backlash, city officials defend the payouts as deserved for workers who went without pay increases for many years.
