Washington State Ferries’ Wenatchee approaches the Bainbridge Island terminal in fall 2025. (Photo by Tom Banse)
After a sickout crippled Washingtonâs ferry system last week, Gov. Bob Ferguson ordered a new evaluation of its engineersâ salaries ahead of wage negotiations with union workers next summer.
Negotiators for Ferguson refused to offer a wage increase to members of the Marine Engineersâ Beneficial Association in months of talks on a new two-year collective bargaining agreement. The union did not ratify an agreement, and the contract dispute went to a third-party arbitrator, who sided with the state and awarded no wage hike amid the stateâs budget woes.Â
âGiven the significant financial challenges we face in our near-term budget, this is not a problem that can be solved immediately,â Ferguson wrote to the union following the mass sickout last week. âHowever, I am committed to the goal of correcting pay disparities between deck and engine.â
The union said it didnât organize last weekâs sickout. Strikes and work stoppages among ferry workers are illegal under state law. Ferguson has made consistent ferry service a top priority in his administration.
âGoing forward, in order to maintain a constructive partnership, it is imperative that there are no further service disruptions,â Ferguson told the union in his letter.
Members have long complained of uncompetitive wages and a reliance on overtime that drives burnout. Many engineers work between 500 and 1,500 hours of overtime per year, according to the union. A survey of 80-plus members in June found more than 60% were either somewhat or very likely to retire or leave the ferry system for another job. Over half reported poor morale among their colleagues.
They say their wages are now 20% below above-deck ferry workers.
âI work a second job in my off weeks just to make ends meet,â Nick Twietmeyer, an oiler, said in a statement. âIâm hopeful the state is serious about fixing this system. That would be a win for WSF crew and more importantly the thousands of people and businesses in our communities who depend on ferries to get around.â
Many state worker unions are also not getting a wage increase in their contracts. But most call for negotiations next summer on potential pay hikes for the second year of the contract, which spans July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2029. This is the case for the Marine Engineersâ Beneficial Association.
Union representative Eric Winge said in a statement it was âencouraging to see Governor Ferguson acknowledge the essential role marine engineers play in keeping our ferry system going and commit to taking the steps necessary to address our workforce crisis.â
On Oct. 5, 23 engine room workers called out sick, and their replacements declined to fill in for them, leaving most state ferries docked and stranding travelers. Thirteen of the systemâs 18 vessels were out of commission at various points of the day as the U.S. Coast Guard requires a minimum number of engine room employees to sail. Ferguson urged the workers to return the next day, and they did, allowing the system to return to a mostly normal schedule.
The ferry system has long faced crew shortages, especially in the years immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
This led the state to prioritize increasing captainsâ pay to attract more and help keep pace with retirements, according to Steve Nevey, head of Washington State Ferries. This widened the gap between licensed deck and engineering staff.Â
Since Ferguson took office in January 2025, ferry system leaders have discussed this disparity with the Democratic governor. The two-year collective bargaining agreement that began in 2025 gives engine room staff an 8% wage hike, 4% each year.
âWe are aligned that the gap between licensed deck and engineering pay needs to be brought back within the range you would normally expect in the maritime industry,â Nevey wrote in a blog post last week. âI have said many times over the past two years that my three biggest priorities are 1. Engineersâ pay, 2. Engineersâ pay, and 3. getting new boats. That has not changed.â
Nevey acknowledged the stateâs fiscal situation âmeans we cannot resolve it as quickly as any of us would like.â
Other ferry workers are set to get raises to varying degrees in their next union contracts between 2027 and 2029.
Source: Washington State Standard
This article was originally published by Washington State Standard.
