Grappling with steep drops in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Metra’s board of directors on Wednesday approved salary raises for its CEO for 2021 and 2022.
CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski is slated to receive a 7% raise for 2021, bringing his salary to $305,000. The board approved another hike next year to $314,200.
The board approved the raises, which are Derwinski’s first since 2018, in a 9-2 vote. They also approved contributions to retirement accounts, and the additional contributions and timing of the increases was enough to convince director Rodney Craig to vote against the measure.
“(Derwinski) does an outstanding job, but I have to look at the timing,” he said. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. We’re very slow to get negotiating with all our unions. We have to figure all that out. There’s just a lot going on right now.”
Stephen Palmer, the other director who voted against the increase, also said Derwinski deserved the raise, but he couldn’t support it while Metra’s ridership remains less than half its pre-pandemic level.
“I don’t think it’s the right time to be giving the CEO a raise,” he said.
The commuter train service has struggled to draw back riders during the pandemic, as many employees have continued to work from home. In August, ridership was about 24% of August 2019 levels.
In a statement, the board praised Derwinski and said Metra had to stay competitive with other rail industry executive salaries.
“Mr. Derwinski has proven to be a highly competent, hardworking, creative, and inspirational leader, and the board wants to reward him for his performance and provide him with an incentive to remain at Metra to continue his good work,” the board said.
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Derwinski’s salary before the raises was $285,000. CTA President Dorval Carter’s annual salary is $262,731. At the RTA, which oversees finances and planning for the two transit agencies and Pace, Executive Director Leanne Redden’s 2021 salary was $299,636, according to the agency’s website.