After admittedly struggling during the pandemic, the head of BC Ferries is touting a number of changes within the company it hopes will make for smoother sailing this summer.
In an interview, newly minted CEO Nicolas Jimenez said BC Ferries is keenly aware there have been many service disruptions in the past few years, but has made several changes to improve the experience.
“We have decided we have to do better this summer,” he told Global News.
“We’ve taken advantage of these reciprocal arrangements with other countries to bring in technical, licensed officers. We changed our hiring model entirely.”
Crew shortages been a persistent challenge for BC Ferries since the onset of COVID-19, with employee absenteeism doubling last fall. At the time, the company said the primary issue was people calling in sick, rather than a shortage of staff, in addition to retirements in key crew positions.
In 2022, it embarked on a hiring blitz and recalled roughly two-thirds of the 150 people who were put on leave without pay due to vaccine mandates. It said those mandates posed a hiring challenges.
Struggling to recruit internationally as well, it offered bonuses between $5,000 and $10,000 for referrals, new hires, returning ex-employees, and those who delay their retirement, if they hold certain in-demand certifications. Eventually, it brought in about 1,000 people.
In March this year, however, BC Ferries was still cancelling multiple sailings due to crew shortages, leading the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union to claim the staffing issues remain. The union has advocated for more stability for casual workers, improved pay packages, and more funds to recruit skilled workers for the company’s maintenance facility.
“BC Ferries has done a good start here and have made changes — changes the union has been asking for for a long time,” Eric McNeely said, B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union president.
“We are seeing less of a focus on precarious work. We are still seeing a lot of overtime being offered (to our members).
“At the maintenance facility, folks are working seven days a week when normally they do five.”
McNeely said there is still a shortage of workers for onboard crews as well.
“There are still significant calls for overtime (for onboard crews), especially in the Gulf Islands. There is still quite a bit of lift in staff that is required.”
Jimenez, who took up the mantle of president and CEO in January, said BC Ferries has hired 800 new people, but hopes to fill another 100 vacancies ahead of the summer.
BC Ferries has hosted at least 18 career fairs since February, hoping to fill the roster for its 39 vessels.
“We have to design a system that’s essentially going to accept that there are more people in this province and there are more people moving in this province,” Jimenez explained.
The union president thinks BC Ferries will not be able to hire the workers it wants in time for the summer.
“BC Ferries put out some fairly aggressive hiring numbers but I think they started a bit too late. I am not convinced they will meet their targets for the summer season.” McNeely told Global News.
“What I hear from my (members) is that they are working a lot, they are getting tired and they are looking forward to getting more co-workers.
“The way the ferry system is operating right now is not sustainable.”
Jimenez said BC Ferries is making other important changes too: It recently introduced an app with information on routes and current conditions, and is currently working on bringing new and more efficient technology to the onboarding process at terminals.
The company also hopes to access new technology that will make sailings a more environmentally-friendly venture, he added.
“Today we use diesel and liquid natural gas in some of the vessels … there is technology available in terms of engine design, hybrid engine design that can introduce electric hybrid motors. That is going to be a huge benefit for all British Columbians.”
In March, BC Ferries released reassessed its four-year plan to address a number recent challenges, including a forecasted mild recession in 2024, staffing issues and increased maintenance costs.
A 41-page report submitted to the independent BC Ferries Commissioner revealed 15 BC Ferries projects had to be cancelled and mid-life upgrades were being pushed back.
In the interim, Jimenez said BC Ferries hopes to expand its pilot of allowing pets on the upper decks of vessels, noting that customer feedback to date has been “tremendously positive.”
The company will also be soliciting customer feedback on food service on board, which was suspended for much of the pandemic.
The British Columbia Ferry Commission has set a price cap on ferry fare increases of 9.2 per cent for each of the next four years. The company also recently received $500 million from the B.C. government to help keep its prices affordable for customers.
The province is the only shareholder in the private company.
— with files from Darrian Matassa-Fung