Sailing cancellations on several inland ferries continued to disrupt residents and travellers in British Columbia’s Kootenays region on Monday.
Unionized employees of ferry operator WaterBridge are refusing to work overtime, leaving some vessels without enough crew members to operate regular sailings.
After several cancellations on Saturday and Sunday, three ferry routes were affected on Monday: Needles, Upper Arrow Lake and Arrow Park, according to WaterBridge.
The inland ferries, which are operated by private companies but funded by the provincial government, are a crucial part of B.C.’s highway system, acting as a bridge over certain waterways.
The job action was triggered after negotiations between 170 unionized workers at WaterBridge and Western Pacific Marine broke down over disagreements around wage increases.
Sailings operated by Western Pacific Marine are not affected by the job action.
WaterBridge says the ferries will operate crossings under certain circumstances, including for kids going to and from school, emergency responders, health-care professionals, people traveling for scheduled medical appointments, people having or responding to health emergencies, and any other emergencies.
Those seeking information on sailing disruptions can check DriveBC for the latest updates.
‘Very limited’ travel options
Residents in the area such as Leslie Early say the uncertainty around the ferries has had a major impact on their lives.
“We have very, very limited ways to get out without taking a ferry,” said Early, who runs a bed and breakfast on Arrow Lakes.
Early said without the ferries she and her neighbours are being forced to take long detours to reach urban centres.
“The people that live here quite often go across the valley [and on the ferry] to Vernon to do shopping and for medical appointments,” she said.
Later this week, Early has a flight leaving Kelowna International Airport and says she’ll be faced with a 12- to 14-hour drive via Nelson and Grand Forks to get there if the ferries aren’t running.
Union wants support from residents
Paul Finch, president of the B.C. General Employees Union, said ferry workers are seeking a pay raise so they earn the same amount of money as those who work for B.C. Ferries on the coast.
“We are looking for your support … [Help us] pressure this employer to come back to the table with a fair and reasonable deal,” he said in a plea to those who are affected by the cancellations.
WATCH | The importance of inland ferries:
The union representing inland ferry workers at seven crossings in B.C.’s Kootenays has voted in favour of job action, while one of their employers has issued lockout notice. Megan Rokeby-Thomas of the Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce says that means hundreds of residents who rely on the ferry could be cut off from school, jobs and services.
CBC News has contacted WaterBridge for comment but has yet to hear back.
Company owner Marinus Goossen previously told CBC News that the company is limited in how much it can pay its employees because of its budget and service agreement with the Ministry of Transportation.
The union, however, has challenged this assertion and says it has asked Goossen to show them the contracts. It says he hasn’t shared them.
“We haven’t seen the evidence,” Finch said.
“We think it’s incredibly telling that they’ve refused to provide that information.”