Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 16, 2008 18:43:05 GMT -8
www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saltspringislanddriftwood/news/17807799.html
From Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, April 16/08:
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Home port switch may put workers in a pinch
By Amy Geddes - Gulf Islands Driftwood - April 16, 2008
B.C. Ferries employees based on Salt Spring and Thetis islands may be forced to relocate to Vancouver Island or serve on a new route if a proposed home port relocation goes through.
Facing a critical staff shortage on vessels servicing Vesuvius-Crofton and Thetis-Chemainus routes, B.C. Ferries is considering a home-port switch from Vesuvius to Crofton and from Thetis Island to Chemainus. The idea, according to B.C. Ferries, is that use of Vancouver Island ports could attract and retain more employees.
“There’s no doubt, this time, we’re having real difficulty attracting people to come and live and work on Salt Spring,” said Capt. Chris Frappell at last week’s meeting with the Salt Spring Island Ferry Advisory Committee.
“I know crewing officers at the senior level who are very concerned about the ability to fill positions so we can run the ships efficiently, or at all, in the not-so-distant future,” Frappell said.
B.C. Ferries personnel said they expect Vancouver Island ports will offer more of what potential staff are looking for: affordable living, better access to larger shopping centres, schools and diversity of religious centres.
The large pool of regular and casual employees on Vancouver Island could provide sufficient backfill options to crew the vessels, Frappell said. And crews could move between Crofton and Chemainus terminals, if both become home ports.
But the Salt Spring Island Ferry Advisory Committee has concerns about how the switch would affect close to 18 staff who crew the Howe Sound Queen. While a few crew members already live on Vancouver Island, the committee’s chair Harold Swierenga said most are Salt Spring Island residents.
“We have concerns about it,” said Swierenga. “We certainly hope they will find another way of solving their staffing problems and leave the Howe Sound Queen on the island.”
B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union president Jackie Miller did not return Driftwood calls about the matter from Thursday through Tuesday.
Attracting engineers to work out of the Vesuvius port has become a critical challenge for B.C. Ferries and no existing employees in the engineering department are willing to relocate to fill vacancies, wrote executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Corrigan in an April 3 letter to the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union. He notes the Salt Spring Island supply of potential deck and catering workers has also been exhausted.
Eight vacancies on the Vesuvius-Crofton route, Frappell said, are currently being filled by B.C. Ferries employees awaiting release to positions they have won elsewhere in the company.
They are being retained because no new workers are available to take over their positions.
While B.C. Ferries does not plan to implement a home port switch before the fall of 2008, the consultation process has begun.
It is liaising with the union and will meet with interest groups such as the Salt Spring Ferry Advisory Committee, Ministry of Transportation and the B.C. Ferries ferry commissioner to review how vessel relocation would impact service schedules and customers.
“Nothing is cast in concrete at this time but we’re looking at any and all options and if anyone has any ideas they’re welcome to express them. We’ll listen to anybody because this staffing problem is not going to go away,” Frappell said.
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From Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, April 16/08:
========================
Home port switch may put workers in a pinch
By Amy Geddes - Gulf Islands Driftwood - April 16, 2008
B.C. Ferries employees based on Salt Spring and Thetis islands may be forced to relocate to Vancouver Island or serve on a new route if a proposed home port relocation goes through.
Facing a critical staff shortage on vessels servicing Vesuvius-Crofton and Thetis-Chemainus routes, B.C. Ferries is considering a home-port switch from Vesuvius to Crofton and from Thetis Island to Chemainus. The idea, according to B.C. Ferries, is that use of Vancouver Island ports could attract and retain more employees.
“There’s no doubt, this time, we’re having real difficulty attracting people to come and live and work on Salt Spring,” said Capt. Chris Frappell at last week’s meeting with the Salt Spring Island Ferry Advisory Committee.
“I know crewing officers at the senior level who are very concerned about the ability to fill positions so we can run the ships efficiently, or at all, in the not-so-distant future,” Frappell said.
B.C. Ferries personnel said they expect Vancouver Island ports will offer more of what potential staff are looking for: affordable living, better access to larger shopping centres, schools and diversity of religious centres.
The large pool of regular and casual employees on Vancouver Island could provide sufficient backfill options to crew the vessels, Frappell said. And crews could move between Crofton and Chemainus terminals, if both become home ports.
But the Salt Spring Island Ferry Advisory Committee has concerns about how the switch would affect close to 18 staff who crew the Howe Sound Queen. While a few crew members already live on Vancouver Island, the committee’s chair Harold Swierenga said most are Salt Spring Island residents.
“We have concerns about it,” said Swierenga. “We certainly hope they will find another way of solving their staffing problems and leave the Howe Sound Queen on the island.”
B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union president Jackie Miller did not return Driftwood calls about the matter from Thursday through Tuesday.
Attracting engineers to work out of the Vesuvius port has become a critical challenge for B.C. Ferries and no existing employees in the engineering department are willing to relocate to fill vacancies, wrote executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Corrigan in an April 3 letter to the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union. He notes the Salt Spring Island supply of potential deck and catering workers has also been exhausted.
Eight vacancies on the Vesuvius-Crofton route, Frappell said, are currently being filled by B.C. Ferries employees awaiting release to positions they have won elsewhere in the company.
They are being retained because no new workers are available to take over their positions.
While B.C. Ferries does not plan to implement a home port switch before the fall of 2008, the consultation process has begun.
It is liaising with the union and will meet with interest groups such as the Salt Spring Ferry Advisory Committee, Ministry of Transportation and the B.C. Ferries ferry commissioner to review how vessel relocation would impact service schedules and customers.
“Nothing is cast in concrete at this time but we’re looking at any and all options and if anyone has any ideas they’re welcome to express them. We’ll listen to anybody because this staffing problem is not going to go away,” Frappell said.
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