Staffing on the new Island Discovery ferry is a cause for concern on Texada Island.
North Island Princess, which served the route for years, sailed with seven staff members. The new Island Discovery is staffed by five crew.
Deborah Marshall, executive director, public affairs at BC Ferries, said the Island Class ships are more efficient than the older vessels they are replacing, so they require fewer crew.
“They will sail with a crew of five,” said Marshall. “This number is one or two fewer than the vessels they are replacing, depending on the ship. We are working through the implications and potential impact to jobs with the union.”
Marshall said there is a formal regulatory approval process with Transport Canada (TC) that involves risk assessments, ship inspections, demonstrations of procedures and review by TC offices in Ottawa and across Canada regions.
“The crew sizes on the new ships are also consistent with, or larger, than similar vessels in top maritime jurisdictions globally,” said Marshall. “Out of respect for our crew, we are not making any further comments at this time.”
Dan Kimmerly, ships’ officers’ component president with the BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union, said the union has been vocal with its concerns regarding safe operation of Island Class vessels with a crew of five.
“The evidence we have, including comments and concerns raised by vessel crew and excluded management, indicates five crew is not adequate to carry out regular routine work, cleaning, and maintenance, let alone respond to an emergency,” said Kimmerly. “Our union has had many direct and deeply concerning conversations with senior personnel, who are worried there is not enough crew to sail the vessel safely.
“Management is fully aware there is not enough crew to perform the regular routine maintenance on the run. We are at a loss for how Transport Canada issued a minimum safe manning certificate of five in view of their own regulations, and we believe BC Ferries submitting for a crew of five with passengers evidences double-speak of their purported concern for worker and passenger safety.”
Texada Island Chamber of Commerce president Cindy Babyn, in a letter to the provincial government, BC Ferries, the provincial health officer and the federal minister of transportation, stated she was writing in support of workers’ conditions and public safety concerns regarding the new Island Discovery ferry.
“Marine transportation has been, and continues to be, an important source of jobs on our island,” stated Babyn. “People are speaking up about what they find wrong and/or concerning about crewing the new and very large Island Discovery with just five people.
“To summarize, BC Ferries explained that ‘the innovations of this new vessel can safely replace crew, and Transport Canada told us we could crew it with five.’ Many residents found this response to be out of touch with reality. It simply wasn’t perceived to address the root issues of concern.”
Babyn stated that the chamber learned on February 17, that the TC inspector was present during training drills with seven crew members. Following that, however, TC approved a safe manning certificate for five crew, she stated.
“Afterwards, when Transport Canada was not present, some teams drilled with five and they failed their drills because they could not be completed with so few crew,” stated Babyn. “Given that drills haven’t been successfully completed with five, the Island Discovery, at this staffing level, should be considered unsafe for both public and crew.
“It was just one day before the Island Discovery came into service that some BC Ferries crew were actually informed they would have to operate the vessel with just five crew. This decision was reportedly shocking to staff and to the union. It is not apparent that BC Ferries has appropriately or sufficiently responded to alerts regarding crews’ concerns.”
Babyn stated that the reduction of crew on the vessel would mean job and family supporting salary losses of more than $300,000 per year compared to North Island Princess.
“That may not sound like much money to any of you living in a large city, but it means a lot to us,” stated Babyn. “We need people with healthy salaries to keep spending money in our local economy.”
Babyn stated that the chamber supports the union’s call for a judicial review of the TC-approved five-crew plan.
qathet Regional District Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said safety concerns are important. She added that it is also concerning if jobs are going to be lost.
“BC Ferries is the island’s second largest employer,” she said. “It’s always bad news when jobs are lost in a small community such as ours. We have a population dominated by seniors so paying jobs are really important.”
