||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||
Planning for restoration of service
We know our alternate service schedules are significantly affecting many of our riders and I assure you we’re working hard on building back our service. We have a team currently analyzing our employee numbers, vessel availability and ridership as we plan for how to restore service as soon as possible. Service restoration is dependent on hiring, training and a continued decrease in COVID-19 cases still affecting our crews and trainees.
Many of our vacancies are for licensed deck officers like captains, mates and engineers, whose jobs require years of experience and credentialing.
We’re also working with legislators, the governor’s staff and our labor partners on our staffing challenges. In addition to focusing on bringing aboard new employees, we’re also looking at ways to move current crewmembers up into senior positions that can’t be filled by new hires.
In the meantime, we’re striving daily to put a second boat into service on our Seattle/Bainbridge, Edmonds/Kingston and Mukilteo/Clinton routes when crewing allows. I encourage riders to sign up for our rider alerts to receive updates on what schedule we’re operating on each route each day.
Anacortes/San Juan Islands route visit
It was nice to get out in the fleet again last week and meet so many of my hardworking colleagues. Chief of Staff Nicole McIntosh and I visited our Anacortes/San Juan Islands run on Thursday and Friday. We learned so much from terminal employees and vessel crewmembers about what it takes to keep this complex route in operation and challenges specific to the islands. I value my time in the fleet hearing suggestions on how we can improve our service directly from our frontline employees.
With Anacortes terminal supervisors Elena Zachry (left center) and Jules Schultz (right center), along with Chief of Staff Nicole McIntosh (right).
Patty Rubstello,
Thank you for the weekly update on all your fine efforts and issues you have to overcome to restore WSF services.
I would be more interested in what results you have achieved. Could you give us some metrics that show where you have been and where you are in your efforts to get things back on track. How about some targets (sailing actually made) you plan to achieve and by when. Perhaps data on how many sails per day (on the regular schedule) were to be sailed. Contrast this to the number actually sailed. You might separate this by area (ie San Juans, Bainbridge, South Sound). If you provide this weekly we could all see what progress is being made.
This would clearly show progress or lack thereof per week. Much more interesting than learning about wedding proposals on the ferries.
Thanks
Spot on Tom