The job action impacting West Kootenay ferry operations may be coming to an end soon, with the BC General Employees’ Union reaching a tentative agreement with Arrow Lake Ferry operator WaterBridge Ferries on Friday.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the BCGEU and Kootenay Lake Ferry operator Western Pacific Marine are back on the table today, Monday October 28.
About 90 BCGEU members employed by WaterBridge Ferries took part in job action from September 28 to October 16, resulting in significant disruptions to the four ferries operating on the Arrow Lakes.
However, on Friday, a tentative agreement was reached between the BCGEU bargaining committee and WaterBridge. The agreement, according to BCGEU president Paul Finch, meets the requirements for sustainable service that the union laid out at the beginning of bargaining.
“This agreement covers the ferries that operate on Arrow Lake and Adams Lake. Our members made it clear that the current wages and training were not sufficient to ensure the long-term sustainability of the ferries, and through job action, they demonstrated to WaterBridge just how vital these ferries are to their communities.”
WaterBridge employees will vote on the agreement in the coming weeks. Job action has been paused until it is voted on; if approved, job action will be ended.
The BCGEU hopes that the agreement with WaterBridge will demonstrate the importance of the region’s inland ferry services as they resume negotiations with Kootenay Lake Ferry operator Western Pacific Marine, whose ferry operations have also been impacted as a result of job action.
“Negotiations remain ongoing with Western Pacific Marine, but now that WaterBridge Ferries and WaterBridge Equipment have reached tentative agreements that respect the importance of these ferries and the work required to operate them, we hope that Western Pacific Marine will come to the table ready to agree to increases in line with the rest of the industry.”
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