Wolfe Island and Glenora ferry workers from OPSEU/SEFPO Local 428 got lots of support from Kingston and Wolfe Island residents as they picketed and handed out leaflets about the ferry staffing crisis at the Wolfe Island ferry dock on Friday, Oct. 7. The information picket was covered by both The Kingston Whig Standard and The Kingstonist.
“We want to make sure that everyone knows why the ferry schedule keeps getting disrupted, and the staffing crisis we’re facing at Wolfe Island and Glenora,” said Lee MacLaren, Local 428 Vice President and Wolfe Island ferry worker.
The ferry workers will be holding a second information picket on both sides of the Glenora Ferry this Friday, October 14, handing out leaflets to cars waiting in line for the ferry. (Click here to see the leaflet.)
“They’ve heard from our employer, and they’ve heard from politicians, but they haven’t heard from the workers yet. So we’re bringing our message directly to the public,” added Jody Pringle, OPSEU/SEFPO Local 428 President and Glenora ferry worker.
Ferry workers are employees of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO). Because of the staffing shortage, the Wolfe Island ferry has been cancelled for up to 12 hours at a time several times this year, trapping residents and visitors on the Island with no way to leave for work or emergencies. Fifteen minute service on the Glenora ferry was also cancelled this summer at the height of tourist season, creating hours-long line-ups and delays for passengers.
The cause of the staffing crisis is that the ferry workers are drastically underpaid in comparison to the rest of the marine industry, causing major recruitment and retention issues in the Ministry. Instead of fixing the wage issue for ferry workers, MTO contracted out the ferry work to Reliance Offshore, an out-of-province, private temporary staffing agency that charges up to twice as much per hour as ministry staff earn.
“It’s a huge waste of money that doesn’t fix the problem – it’s just a bandaid,” said Pringle. “They need to hire more permanent ferry workers and pay fair wages to retain them.”
The ferry workers were joined by OPSEU/SEFPO Region 4 Vice President Melissa Coenraad, Executive Board Member Chrisy Tremblay, members from nearby OPSEU/SEFPO locals, and allies from the Kingston and District Labour Council.
“The ferries are part of the Ontario highway system and people in this area rely on them, especially Wolfe Island residents,” said Coenraad. “It’s time to stop contracting out our members’ work, and attract permanent ferry workers with fair pay. That’s the solution.”
Tell Premier Ford and Transportation Minister Mulroney:
- Fix our ferries: stop the service disruptions caused by understaffing.
- MTO must honour their collective agreement with OPSEU/SEFPO Local 428. Stop wasting money on expensive private temp agencies, and hire permanent MTO ferry workers to work and live in our communities instead.
- Repeal Bill 124, which has imposed a three-year wage cut on ferry workers during high inflation, and pay them fair, competitive wages.
Contact them today:
Hon. Doug Ford
Premier
416-325-1941
[email protected]
Hon. Caroline Mulroney
Minister of Transportation
905-895-1555
[email protected]
Download a petition to the Ontario Legislature:
Click here to download a petition to the Ontario Legislature – please mail original copies to the address on the petition form. (Only original signatures are accepted by the Ontario Legislature.)
