Travellers on B.C. Ferries could face longer wait times and sailing cancellations due to staff shortages after a federal COVID-19 vaccine order takes effect on Nov. 15, union officials are warning.
“There is a real risk that if a fair number of people are not vaccinated or have not been vaccinated in time, there will be service disruptions [and] because there is so few staff, B.C. Ferries will not be able to run a full schedule of sailings,” said Eric McNeely, the president of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union.
But B.C. Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall does not believe service will be curtailed or interrupted.
“We are hearing other companies are reporting [vaccine] refusal rates of one to two per cent once policies are implemented,” she said. “While we cannot provide a guarantee, we predict little or no impact on our service given these modelling rates.”
B.C. Ferries has announced all employees and contractors who work on board its vessels must receive one dose of vaccine by Nov. 15, and must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 24, but ferries employees who are land-based have until Feb. 28 to do so.
In a statement, the ferry corporation said the Jan. 24 deadline for on-board employees was set by Transport Canada. B.C. Ferries opted to include its other shore-based employees in its mandatory vaccine policy but imposed a later deadline for that group as part of its “phased approach to allow a smooth transition to a fully vaccinated workforce.”
Employees who do not comply will be placed on leave without pay.
McNeely said the ferry corporation has little wiggle room when it comes to backup staff. He said B.C. Ferries has not provided enough training to upgrade current staff to marine specialty positions.
He said historically low staffing levels resulted in all sailings on one vessel being cancelled for one day in August after three employees called in sick.
B.C. Ferries has asked employees to declare their vaccination status by today, but McNeely said fewer than 30 per cent of its 5,000 employees have done so. The ferry corporation appears unconcerned at that rate of return.
“The policy has only been out for three days. Declarations continue to come in,” said Marshall.
Transport Canada has said it may approve exemptions for medical or religious reasons, but McNeely said some members are finding it difficult to get them.
“The problem is having access to a doctor in some remote areas or not having a family doctor even in urban areas [to provide a recommendation for an exemption] so we are continuing to work with B.C. Ferries on that,” said McNeely. “But the Transport Canada deadlines are pretty rigid so it’s still unknown how much of an effect that will have on staffing levels.”
B.C. Ferries said it will make efforts to accommodate employees who are unable to be vaccinated. “The company will review, and where applicable, will initiate reasonable accommodative measures, including testing,” Marshall said.
The union is hearing from vaccine-hesitant workers and those who object to giving medical information to their employer. McNeely said some have decided to retire rather than work in an environment where passengers do not have to be vaccinated.
“All of that could have a big impact on service levels,” he said.
B.C. Ferries will not implement a mandatory vaccine policy for its passengers, despite repeated requests by its union. Transport Canada said it does not have the authority to order passengers be vaccinated because ferries are considered an extension of a highway and that falls under provincial jurisdiction. The provincial government has said it has no plans to make vaccination a requirement for ferry travellers.
