MoDOT weathers snow storm amid worker shortages, but says higher pay is necessary

By Gabriela Vidal

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    MISSOURI (KMOV) — It’s been a long and grueling week for snow plow operators throughout the St. Louis metro region, who have been working around the clock to keep roads clear.

“I’d say our team did a spectacular job. They’re still out there. I mean we’re on our sixth operational period, but I have to say a huge shout out not only to the men and women that were out there…their families. Their families were home alone for the last several days dealing with the weather,” said Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). “But, also, the Missouri State Highway Patrol. They did a fantastic job. They were out there the whole time as well.”

While McKenna credits the men and women who worked long hours and will continue to do so as the area hits bitter temperatures overnight, he says they are still nowhere near the staff they need to be.

“Last calendar year we lost 828 people. And that’s about 8,200 years of experience, walked out the door. Solving this problem is the first step. And then it’s going to take us a decade to dig out of it,” he said. “We generally need about 3,400 people at MODOT alone for a statewide event like this. We have been off as much as 600 people.”

Both MoDOT and IDOT officials tell News 4 their agencies are no strangers to staffing shortages because of recent COVID-19 illnesses. Yet, another issue that is hurting access to drivers in Missouri is that the pay for snow plow operators is not competitive enough to other agencies.

“We’ve been way off market though with the price that we’ve been paying to these folks, we’re just not attracting the temporary help,” said McKenna.

MoDOT’s starting salary for equipment operators is $15.50 per hour, which comes to about $32,000 a year. He says that is around 25 percent off market pay.

“We are seeing that for commercial drivers…in the public sector around Missouri, not just the private sector…17, 18, up to 20 dollars an hour,” said McKenna. “And then when it gets to the private sector…you’re hearing 28, 29, $30 an hour for that service.”

Across the river, IDOT tells News 4 full-time highway maintainers have a starting salary of just under $5,000 a month. People who are hired at an hourly rate for the winter season make $20.55 per hour.

“This year, we’re forecasting 18 to 20 percent turnover by the end of the fiscal year,” said McKenna regarding MoDOT operators.

He says the solution is to pay more, but that becomes a challenge without the funds to do so.

“We have to balance the operating costs with the costs of doing projects on the road. We’ve got an aging infrastructure that has a lot of needs,” said McKenna. “We’ve been one of the lowest funded DOTs in the nation for decades for the size system that we manage, which is seventh in the nation in terms of road and bridge network.

McKenna says they are working with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission on a budget request they hope will improve pay moving forward.

“The commission has approved that plan, we’ve submitted it as part of our budget and that’s being debating right now through the general assembly and we’re working through those issues as we speak,” said McKenna. “We’re hoping and hopeful that some progress will be made here. It’s critical that we make that progress.”

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