Nearly 80 Hullo ferry employees have voted to unionize, according to the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union.
The company, which launched its foot passenger ferry service between downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo, B.C., a little over a year ago, employs just over 80 people, according to its website, including deckhands, maintenance staff and captains.
Union president Eric McNeely said 80 per cent of the votes cast were in favour of joining the union.
He says discussions around a collective agreement have not yet begun, but expects key issues for members to include job stability, wages and education to support career advancement.
“People who started maybe on shore or in the deck department maybe one day want to be a captain,” he said.
Hullo CEO Alastair Caddick appeared to be supportive of the union in a statement emailed to CBC News.
“We believe the people who work at Hullo are some of the best in the region and so we look forward to working collaboratively with the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union to create a workplace that fosters collaboration, innovation and service,” Caddick said.
Since it launched in August 2023, Hullo ferries has increased sailings between Vancouver Island and the mainland for big events in Vancouver, like concerts and sports games.
The B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union represents more than 3,600 members, according to its website. McNeely said the vast majority of marine workers on B.C.’s coast are unionized.