Engine room crew say poor management and low pay are hobbling workforce, resulting in canceled sailings, backlog of repairs and maintenance 


||| FROM KRISTIN HYDE from MARINE ENGINEERS BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION |||


Seattle, WA – Today at a news conference at the Seattle Ferry Terminal on Pier 52’s Colman Dock, Washington State Ferries’ engine room crew said poor management and low pay is pushing the state’s ferry system further into crisis.

Ferry engine room crew, backed by their union the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A), have launched a public petition asking Washington Governor Jay Inslee to direct the state to provide competitive pay to retain and recruit engine room crew, key to restoring safe and reliable ferry service.

Washington State Ferries is the largest passenger ferry system in America, a critical link in the Washington state transportation system. Ferry ridership is returning to pre-pandemic levels, but service is unreliable. In 2023, there were more than 3,500 canceled sailings, and service disruptions continue.

Roland Rexha, Secretary Treasurer of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A): “The lack of highly trained, essential engine room crew to run ferries each day is the number one reason for canceled ferry sailings, and low pay is the number one reason why the ferries are short staffed. Engine room crew aren’t as visible to the public as deck crew, but ferries can’t run, get needed maintenance or repairs without them. Other ferry systems around the country that have invested in competitive wages have seen their engine room workforce shortage disappear and been able to restore reliable, on-time, service to passengers. Unless Governor Inslee and the state agencies responsible for Washington State Ferries step up and make the investment in wages needed to retain and recruit essential crew members, the Washington Ferry System will slide further into failure.”

Washington State Ferries depend on marine engineers and oilers to operate, repair and maintain ferry vessels. Four hundred of 1800 Washington State Ferry employees are marine engineers. These essential engine room crew are represented by the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, the nation’s premier union representing marine engineers and deck officers. When there are not enough crew, boats tie up and do not run, causing delays and canceled sailings that have a ripple effect on the people, businesses and communities that depend on them.

Eric Winge, Washington State Ferries representative for M.E.B.A said: “Some engine room crew members are being asked to work 100 hours of overtime per month. It’s unreasonable, causes burnout and threatens safe operations. The state’s refusal to address pay disparity is pushing experienced crew to take early retirement or leave for better paying private sector jobs. By closing the growing gap between engine room crew pay and the cost of living here in the Puget Sound region, the state can address these serious workforce issues and build the bench of engineers we’ll need to operate, maintain and repair the new ferries coming online in the years ahead.”

Brandi Bennett, a chief engineer on the M/V Tillikum in the San Juan Islands added, “With older boats and deferred maintenance, the engineers have a large burden to keep the boats running. More work, more overtime, and pay that doesn’t even keep up with COLA. My 8-year old daughter has commented on me not being home for 7 days anymore because of the agency’s reliance on overtime. Most of us came to work for the ferries because of the work-life balance. We no longer have that.”

Brandon Powell, an oiler on M/V Tacoma on the Bainbridge-Seattle run, shared: “You can’t just hire anyone to do these jobs. Even entry level oilers require years of training and sea time to become licensed credentialed engine room crew. I took this job with the ferries instead of a higher paying position in the private sector so I could be there for my five kids and my wife. But it’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet and justify staying in this job when management doesn’t treat us equitably. Consistently relying upon overtime to keep the ferry system operational is an extremely dangerous management strategy.”

Nick Twietmeyer, an oiler on the M/V Spokane Kingston-Edmonds run added:  “Wages are not in line with the cost of living here in the Puget Sound region. Morale is plummeting, driven by a lack of adequate compensation despite my colleagues vast technical knowledge and mechanical capabilities. Ferry dependent communities are suffering. Canceled sailings threaten the livelihoods and health of hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, impacting our state’s economy and revenue from ferry-based tourism. Ferry riders have a right to expect reliable ferry service, but that’s impossible when management doesn’t prioritize the workers who are responsible for ensuring ferries are well maintained and adequately staffed. It’s shameful that Washington has gone from one of the best paying ferry systems in the country to one of the worst.”

Phil Wolf, a licensed oiler who works on the M/V Puyallup Kingston-Edmonds run, shared: “Marine engineers are the first line of defense any time there is a problem keeping the ferries in operation. We literally fix everything on the ship! We are the lowest paid members of the ship’s crew, yet we have the greatest responsibility to safeguard its operation. The State of Washington has no problem finding the funding and budget to retrofit 3 Jumbo Mark 2 ferries to hybrid electric as well as billions more to construct new hybrid ferries in the future, but they can’t seem to find the funding or budget to pay these crews the wages needed to operate, repair and maintain these ever increasing technologically complex ships.”

Cameron Ruth, a chief engineer on the M/V Yakima Anacortes-San Juan Islands run added: “Washington State Ferries’ management fails to see the value of fairly paying the staff that keep the boats running, on average paying engineers 19% less than equivalent positions on deck and in the wheelhouse. Because of the lower wages, it has been much harder to attract and retain marine engineers with the necessary education and experience in the field to run the boats efficiently. The state needs to invest not only in new boats and captains, but also in its forgotten engineers that silently keep vessels running day in and day out.”


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