BC Ferries is moving community meetings from in-person to online due to rising aggressive, threatening and abusive behaviour towards members.
This comes as the company has been dealing with crew shortages and sailing cancellations.
On Sept. 20, during a meeting Diana Mumford was chairing for the Southern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee, a member of the public uttered a threat to the effect that if BC Ferries didn’t make changes the individual would “take a gun to everyone” according to B.C. Ferries.
“It’s unfortunate, because … I think it shows the level of frustration of our community,” Mumford told Global News.
The RCMP and BC Ferries security personnel are reviewing the situation and in the meantime, out of precaution, the corporation has moved all future meetings online.
In a statement, the company said “BC Ferries is resolute in enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behaviour. The safety of our staff and community is always top priority.”
However, the union that represents those on the front lines is calling out the company, saying the aggressive and often threatening behaviour is at an all-time high and its members have no choice but to face it every day, head on.
“It’s a bit of a double standard,” Dan Kimmerly with the BC Ferries and Marine Workers’ Union said.
“We’ll have things shouted at employees like, ‘I hope you get cancer and die,’ all things like that.
“Until the marine highway starts acting like a marine highway, people are going to be upset.”
BC Ferries said it will be meeting with the advisory committee chairs to look for ways to create a peaceful setting during meetings.
The company confirmed it will be providing de-escalation training to employees present at the meetings, which is something already provided to those working on the front lines.
It said once the training is complete, they intend to resume face-to-face consultations.
But Mumford said the best way to achieve that is by fixing the ferry system itself.
“You have no dependability, no reassurance that that sailing is going to go,” she said.
“Our ferries are our road. It’s our lives.”