Submitted by Kristin Hyde
More than 400 Washington State Ferries’ engine room crew members say the state’s refusal to end widening pay gap with deck counterparts, over-reliance on overtime, and lack of investment needed to retain and recruit experienced staff will push the system further into crisis.
Washington State Ferries is the largest passenger ferry system in America, a critical link in the Washington state transportation system. With aging and insufficient number of vessels, and a fleet in constant need of repair from lack of investment in maintenance, a worsening engine room workforce shortage, ferry service has become unreliable. In 2023, there were more than 3,500 canceled sailings and service disruptions continue, threatening the health and livelihoods of people and businesses in ferry dependent communities.
Four hundred of 1800 Washington State Ferry employees are engine room crew, highly skilled marine engineers who operate, repair and maintain ferries. These essential engine room crew are represented by the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, the nation’s premier union representing marine engineers and deck officers.
Eric Winge, Washington State Ferries representative for M.E.B.A said: “The arbitrator’s decision on contract terms was a blow to our crew members, who are already at the breaking point. The state has no problem asking engine room crew to work 100 hours of overtime per month while they refuse to address the root cause of a dwindling workforce – uncompetitive pay. The widening gap between pay for our highly trained engineers and their above deck counterparts is insulting and demoralizing. Nearly half our senior crew is up for retirement in 2027. If the state can’t adequately staff the limited number of ferries operating today, how will they do it in three years, or ten when we have a handful of new highly technical electric ferries that will depend even more heavily on experienced engineers?”
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 when we are struggling to make ends meet, and management actively disrespects us, it’s pretty hard to justify staying in this job.”
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.”
Roland Rexha, Secretary Treasurer of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A): “The state didn’t bargain in good faith, and they punted the ball to an out of state arbitrator with no experience in this industry. 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. 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. It’s up to state legislators and the new administration coming in 2025 to right this wrong. WSF management is in denial of their inability to run the ferry system. And now they are putting this on the legislature to fix our ferries and bring the service that the public needs on a daily basis.”
