2018 Sunshine List: Laurentian University of Sudbury top earners
Every year Ontario government publishes its annual Sunshine List of public sector servants, which includes nurses, teachers, police officers, and firefighters, with six-figure salaries. In Laurentian University of Sudbury, 411 staffers made the list this year, earning a total salary of $59,512,303.79 in 2017.
At the top of the Sunshine List
Topping the list for Laurentian University of Sudbury was Full Professor Ozhand Ganjavi who brought home $686,760.63 in 2017.
Following Ozhand Ganjavi was Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Pierre Zundel, who had annual earnings of $246,224.96. President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux made $235,427.00, Director, Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Nigel Smith made $227,817.10 and President and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation Douglas Morrison round out the top-five highest-paid employees with $213,750.00 for the Laurentian University of Sudbury 2018 Sunshine List.
Breaking down the numbers
Among the 411 Laurentian University of Sudbury's employees, who received more than six-figure salaries 42 received earnings between $100,000 and $110,000 followed by 198 who received between $110,001 and $150,000 , 162 received between $150,001 and $200,000 , 8 received between $200,001 and $250,000 , 1 received over $300,000 at Laurentian University of Sudbury.
The Sunshine List
The Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, makes Ontario's public sector more open and accountable to taxpayers. The act requires organizations that receive public funding from the Province of Ontario to make public, by March 31 each year, the names, positions, salaries and total taxable benefits of employees paid $100,000 or more in the previous calendar year.
In Ontario the Sunshine List was first published in 1996, by the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris. Just 4,576 names appeared on the first list.
A lot has been debated about the $100,000 threshold of the Sunshine List. If the list was adjusted for inflation since 1996, the real benchmark salary would now be around $151,929.
Those in favor of the current benchmark argue that $100,000 still a lot of money. The average weekly wages for workers in Ontario is $974, which amounts to $50,600 per year. That includes overtime pay, and assumes no weeks off. This is half of the Sunshine List threshold.
For a complete list of public sector employees who made the 2018 Sunshine List, go to Sunshine List 2018 Employees List. If you wish to analyse the list by employer go to Sunshine List 2018 Employers List.