City workers not getting paid overtime amid Hamilton's ransomware attack: unions

Employees who work for the City of Hamilton aren't getting overtime pay amid the ransomware attack that has lasted two weeks and disrupted access to central services, according to the public workers' unions.

Mario Posteraro, president of OPSEU Local 256 which represents over 450 paramedics, said the pay issue has reached the "piss-off point" for him.

"Without there being an end in sight … our members are left to wonder why they should come in and do extra work," he said in a Tuesday morning interview, adding that he thinks city leaders don't seem to be taking the situation seriously.

CBC Hamilton contacted the city for more details but didn't immediately receive any.

It's unclear how many of the city's thousands of employees have worked overtime in the last two weeks.

Posteraro said there are plans to file a group grievance to collect any money the city owes its workers. Workers may also refuse to work overtime, he added.

He also said some workers haven't been able to get days off, have concerns about if their personal information has been breached and don't trust what the city has been saying about the cyberattack.

The city has said it doesn't believe anyone's personal information has gotten in the hands of hackers and that it hasn't been able to share much because the situation is "sensitive."

Rob D'Amico, president of the Hamilton Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 228, said firefighters are also not getting paid overtime right now, but said he is optimistic the city will compensate them.

Jeff Dunford, acting president of CUPE Local 1041, which represents roughly 375 supervisors and project managers, said his members also aren't getting overtime pay. He said he plans to speak to other unions to brainstorm how they can "work with the city to get things running again."

The city has also told employees who need to retrieve a copy of their 2023 T4s and T4As to access them directly on the Canada Revenue Agency website.

On Feb. 25, the ransomware attack shut down almost all city phone lines, paralyzed city council and impacted dozens of services including the bus schedule app, library WiFi and permit applications.

It's unclear how much money the hackers want or where or who they are, but the city has insurance coverage for cybersecurity breaches, city manager Marnie Cluckie previously said.

She added the city has contacted police and the province and is is working with cybersecurity experts at Cypfer to resolve the issue.