VIA Rail gave its executives handsome bonuses while the Crown corporation lost millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic and requested a taxpayer-funded bailout, records show.
The records, obtained through Access to Information and released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), show that 650 VIA Rail managers received a total of $6,434,642 in taxpayer-funded bonuses in 2020, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. This is equivalent to $9,899 paid to each individual. That year an additional $1,430,703 in pay raises were approved for non-union managers.
No bonuses were paid in 2021. However, $1,711,780 in raises was paid to 638 managers in 2021. Figures for 2022 were unavailable.
Corporate records show bonuses for the railway’s $413,500-a-year CEO range up to 28 percent annually. Bonuses for other $327,984-a-year executives range from 35 to 50 percent in addition to $24,000 in annual perks like sports club memberships, reported Blacklock’s….