Pay Hike For DRPA Boss Put On Hold

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) -- A bid to give the CEO at the Delaware River Port Authority a 40 thousand dollar a year raise was put on hold today by board members, in the name of full public disclosure.

The pay bump to 220 grand for John Hanson would actually put his salary on par with his predecessor. But the board failed to follow proper procedure. "In order for someone to receive a raise at the executive level, it must go through the labor committee for an open and transparent discussion," board Vice Chairman Jeffrey Nash told KYW Newsradio.

The question will now go before the committee, which could bring it back before the full board as soon as next month.

The issue prompted discussion about others who have gone years without a pay raise, like union workers. Bill Hosey is an assistant business manager for IBEW local 351. He doesn't oppose Hanson's raise, but "at the same time, there's other groups here that come in day in and day out that they should also get paid what they deserve."

Board members from the chairman on down agreed, and suggested there could be a plan to make everyone happy within the same general time frame. That said, any deal could be struck down by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, given his veto authority on DRPA actions.

But DRPA board Chairman Ryan Boyer, a Philadelphia labor leader, hopes it doesn't come down to that. "I know he's running for the top job in Washington, DC," Boyer said. "But let Pennsylvania and New Jersey come to a compromise where we reward the workers for the hard work that they put in."

Boyer hopes to gather enough evidence to convince Christie that, in this case, everyone deserves a raise.