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Guemes Island ferry workers strike over contracts
No one was able to get on or off the island all day as workers striked.
ANACORTES, Wash - A one-day strike shut down ferry service to Guemes Island on Monday.
Ferry workers with the Inlandboatman’s Union of the Pacific (IBU) say they've been in negotiations with Skagit County for more than 16 months for a fair contract.
"The starting wage has gone up $2.95 an hour in 14 years," said Richard Walker, a deckhand and union steward. "That's a clear indication there's not enough commitment to make sure our wages are keeping pace."
Peter Hart, IBU's Regional Director of Puget Sound says its bargaining unit unanimously rejected Skagit County's last offer.
"It barely caught them up with the market forces around them in maritime, and it still left them behind the consumer price index," said Hart.
Hart says members want a contract that will fairly compensate them for the reality of the economic climate.
"Three-quarters of the group has a second job to subsidize the low wages." said Hart. "It's not easy. They've been under a lot of duress and are frustrated," said Hart.
Emily Grober says unfair scheduling practices pushed the union into striking.
"They just decided to assign us shifts without consent," said Grober. "If we can't fill those shifts, we're being required to used paid time off to do it."
As a mother of two, Grober says abrupt scheduling changes have made life even harder for working families.
"Which is really problematic for us with kids but not only that, we have other people in their time of life that are taking care of their parents and so elder care is a pretty big issue," said Grober.
The strike caught Skagit County by surprise, saying in a statement they repeatedly asked for contract mediation, addressed the issue of scheduling, made an "unprecedented comprehensive offer of wage increases," and are willing to mediate to reach a contract with the Union.
During the one-day strike, ferry workers still offered to provide service if there were medical emergencies.
Ferry service to Guemes Island resumes around 6:30 am on Tuesday.