Overtime spending at the MTA has decreased by an average of $ 122 million in 2020, according to a new report – but that didn’t stop transit brass from tapping their “progress”.
MTA President Pat Foye praised the latest figures, although the authority of $ 1.1 billion spent on overtime was significantly higher than the $ 849 million spent on OT in 2014.
“The MTA is laser-focused with the aim of advancing the laser-forest and driving controllable overtime and addressing potential abuses as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Foe said in a statement.
“The overtime system plays an important role in keeping the system running, but it is up to the MTA leadership to monitor against misconduct.”
Agency officials committed to reducing overtime expenses two years ago, when Post’s reporting showed that they would become a growing burden on the cash-strapped agency’s budget.
The report showed that Frank Pizonia, an alleged Long Island Railroad overtime cheat, was the MTA’s seventh-highest OT earner last year.
According to an MTA report released on Friday, Pizonia, who faces federal charges of cheating and conspiracy with four co-workers, has stayed in extra time for $ 221,766 in 2020, about 73 percent of her $ 302,025 salary. .
MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorn blamed out-of-control controls on an OT “honor system” that allowed grifters to run with thousands of dollars in pay for time they didn’t actually work.
Pizonia, the son of eminent prosecutor Dominic “Skinny Dom” Pizonia, was suspended on 4 February without pay, with federal prosecutors indicting him and four others, including the MTA’s 2018 “overtime king” Thomas Caputo.
Court papers stated that the crew had allegedly “worked together to work, claiming to pay for the hours that, among other things, recurring from work to each other.” Used to cover for the absence of, but still do not understand that sheets would be presented, including hours without time, ”says the court paper.
Pizonia made the list of the 10 highest overtime earners of 2020 – one, two, three, four and six, in addition to five other LIRR workers. Metro-North and MTA Police accounted for the rest of the list.
At the same time, former MTA Chief Operating Officer Mario Pelvin topped the list of highest paid MTA employees. Pelequin, who was in charge of overtime improvement efforts before leaving last month, earned $ 411,969 in 2020.
After the Pelequin, the list of highest paid MTA employees includes – in order – five police officers, Foe, Chief Transformation Officer Anthony McCord and the number two and number three highest LIRR overtime earners, Edward Popolizio and Patrick Dambois .
Popolizio and Damboise earned about $ 344,000 last year, about 70 percent of it from overtime.
Pizonia’s attorney did not return an email request for comment.
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