The salary of Paul J. Wiedefeld, the general manager of Washington’s Metro system, has been hiked by nearly 10 percent despite objections from agency workers, according to an AP report.
Voting 7-1 on Thursday, the Metro Board increased Wiedefeld’s salary by $37,500 and also extended his contract to 2021, according to news reports.
Since the beginning of his term in November 2015, Wiedefeld didn’t get a hike, but his new $435,000 annual salary makes him the highest paid public transit chief in the country.
Wiedefeld said in the past he also got offers from other Metro systems.
Michael Goldman, the Metro Board member, was the only person who objected to the salary hike, saying it came at a time of a “shared sacrifice” – increased fares and service cuts for riders and static wages for workers.
DC Metro chief gets $37.5K raise despite worker objections: https://t.co/FIHT8cJHMj pic.twitter.com/8samPz7E5q
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) September 29, 2018
Contracts with the two largest unions have also been finalized by the board following a long stalemate. The workers have been granted raises covering small cost of living.