Union for BC Ferries workers wants to secure wage hike as competition heats up
The union representing some BC Ferries workers wants to reopen their collective agreement and secure a wage hike, warning that staff could quit — possibly contributing to cancellations — if that doesn’t happen.
Erin McNeely, president of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union, said he certainly hopes it doesn’t come to that. Closing the wage gap with competing companies, however, could increase service “stability” at BC Ferries, he said.
BC Ferries declined an interview request for this story, stating it doesn’t comment on negotiations in the press.
Unionized staff are in the middle of a five-year contract with BC Ferries that includes a pair of two-per-cent increases and the option to reopen wage talks in April 2024. Both parties, however, have agreed to open them early — starting Aug. 1, according to McNeely.
