“A rocky summer”: BC Ferries’ Union says recent cancelled sailings could be just the beginning
Despite recruiting efforts underway ahead of the busy summer season, 8 sailings on major routes connecting Tsawwassen to Vancouver Island were cancelled in a 48-hour period because of staffing shortages at BC. Ferries.
The cancellations impacted routes to and from both Nanaimo and Victoria.
“Our crewing department actively works very hard to try to fill all the positions so we don’t have to cancel any sailings, but unfortunately the past couple of days we had to cancel a few,” said BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall on Tuesday.
While COVID-19 is still a factor, the biggest challenge is filling hundreds of staff vacancies.
“Our (human resources) department has been actively recruiting, and over the past several months we have hired about 850 new staff members,” said Marshall, adding the majority are seasonal employees for the summer months. “But we still have about 150 more positions to recruit.”
