But the SunshineListStats deep dive revealed the truth. The previous winter, a “weather bomb” had parked itself over the southwest coast for 14 days. Winds hit 170 km/h. The road crew had worked 36-hour shifts to clear Highway 470, only to watch the snow blow back in ten minutes later. Three of the crew members lost their homes to storm surge while they were trying to save the highway. The bonus wasn’t a bonus. It was a survival settlement.
The Premier held a press conference in a windbreaker, standing on a pier in Bay Roberts. He didn’t defend the list. He didn’t apologize for it. He just read the room. sunshineliststats newfoundland labrador
As of the most recent 2024 reporting period, over in the province earned more than the $100,000 mark, accounting for a total payroll of approximately $1.6 billion . Number of Employees (>$100k) Average Compensation Top Earner Max Health Government Universities (MUN) Crown Corporations Public Safety Source: NL Compensation Disclosure Insights Top Earners and Notable Salaries But the SunshineListStats deep dive revealed the truth
Note: For the most current specific numbers and names, residents are encouraged to consult the official Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Public Sector Compensation Disclosure reports released annually. The road crew had worked 36-hour shifts to
The origins of the Sunshine List date back to the Public Sector Compensation Disclosure Act, which came into effect in 1996 (with the first list published in 1997). The premise is straightforward: any public sector employee earning in a calendar year must have their name, position, and total compensation publicly disclosed.
The top ten spots on the list weren't doctors or surgeons. They were engineers at Nalcor Energy, managing the Muskrat Falls dam. The number one earner was a man named Derek, a Structural Integrity Supervisor who hadn’t slept in his own bed in four years. He lived in a camp in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, had a heart condition from the stress, and was pulling in $342,000. His job was to keep the concrete from cracking at -40°C. Beside his name, a note in the raw data read: “Hardship allowance: Arctic shelf + isolation + threat of polar bear interference.”