Worst Company to work for, BC Ferries

[Koastal Karl]

Well just my opinion after having two interviews and not getting hired cause they are too picky then I read this article in the Times Colonist about three ferry employees who suffered from Heat Stroke over the past two days. This explains it all. Having to wear what they were in winter during these hot spells, rediculas. Should have some exception when it is this hot, but no! Typical!


B.C. Ferries deckhands clash with company over wearing shorts
Christina Montgomery, The Province
Published: Thursday, July 12, 2007
B.C. Ferries deckhands are threatening to refuse to work as temperatures skyrocket and the company insists they wear the wool hats and long pants that replaced traditional summer shorts May 1.

Union president Jackie Miller said two workers ordered to wear the mandatory full-brim, 100-per-cent wool, navy-blue hats and long pants suffered heat stroke yesterday.

A third was sent home after refusing to wear the winter-weight hat when the workplace thermometer hit 50 C.

The three work the Denman and Quadra Island runs, where deck temperatures soared to a reported 56 degrees yesterday on the Powell River Queen.

Terminal attendants who direct traffic on to ferries can still wear shorts; deckhands and mates who work on the vessels directing them into place can't, Miller said.

Uniforms for mates and deckhands also include mandatory steel-toed boots and a reflective vest to be worn over a work shirt. Mates' long pants are a 60-40 wool-polyester blend. Deckhands wear a 60-40 poly-cotton blend.

B.C. Ferries did not return Province calls asking why shorts had been eliminated for some crew and not others.

Miller said that when temperatures began to soar and crew and captains, who have recently been allowed to remove their ties in hot weather, complained, they were told the uniforms were needed to maintain "professionalism" and for "safety reasons" in case the crew had to fight a fire.

"It's not about firefighting," Miller said. "If it's about fire, what about their arms? They wear short sleeves.

"If they turned off the air conditioning at Fleet House and it hit 110 degrees, I'm sure [company president] David Hahn wouldn't be walking around in a dress suit and tie."

Miller said the union would be contacting WorkSafeBC about the issue and has told workers they can refuse unsafe, overheated work conditions.

[e-mail]




© The Vancouver Province 2007

[Barnacle]

Fire safety, my big fat butt.

If fire safety were a concern, they wouldn't impregnate the uniforms with polyester shrink-wrap.

[kylefossett]

karl, the reason you did not get hired is because of the background check they ran on you through google. they decided not to hire people that have more then 1500 posts on this board.

[Scott]

Hey, just think of the wind chill when you're on the water and the ferry is moving at a steady 12 knots... don't want those deckhands getting a summer cold and costing the company money!

What a joke. I can only imagine the heat that comes off those open deck (nice black deck) ferries on a hot summer day.

[nolonger]

Fire safety? They actually said that? Pure Crap! That's what all those expensive fire suits are for. We wore shorts for a few summers on deck on the Alberni back in the late '90s. Not one injury was ever reported which could have been due to the fact that the injured party was wearing shorts.
According to a thread on the union website, a car deck temperature of 57 C was recorded on the Powell River Queen on July 10. It's not a lot different than walking through a paved, sun baked parking lot full of vehicles which are still hot from engine heat etc. Except to add some hot running deisels underneath. If the air conditioning in Fleet house went awol and the temp went to 145 F., would Hahn be still dressed in a suit and tie in the interests of professionalism? Me thinks he'd be out having martinis with his buddy Gord!

[ferrytraveller]

just curious, what position did you apply for karl?

[Coastal Canuck]

kylefossett said:

karl, the reason you did not get hired is because of the background check they ran on you through google. they decided not to hire people that have more then 1500 posts on this board.

so basically if I want to get hired by BC Ferries I and I hit post 1499 before that happens I can't post any more or I would have to make a whole new account and be a new member

[Political Incorrectness]

notmuchlonger said:

Fire safety? They actually said that? Pure sCrap! That's what all those expensive fire suits are for. We wore shorts for a few summers on deck on the Alberni back in the late '90s. Not one injury was ever reported which could have been due to the fact that the injured party was wearing shorts.
According to a thread on the union website, a car deck temperature of 57 C was recorded on the Powell River Queen on July 10. It's not a lot different than walking through a paved, sun baked parking lot full of vehicles which are still hot from engine heat etc. Except to add some hot running deisels underneath. If the air conditioning in Fleet house went awol and the temp went to 145 F., would Hahn be still dressed in a suit and tie in the interests of professionalism? Me thinks he'd be out having martinis with his buddy Gord!

57 degrees is just as bad as the outback of Australia w/ humidity. If you are wearing wool on that car deck, you'd be feeling like crap just wearing that. I find this action of forcing workers to wear inappropriate weather clothing for summer conditions a request for heat stroke. How is wool even fire proof?

[Hardy]

extreamme said:

kylefossett said:

karl, the reason you did not get hired is because of the background check they ran on you through google. they decided not to hire people that have more then 1500 posts on this board.

so basically if I want to get hired by BC Ferries I and I hit post 1499 before that happens I can't post any more or I would have to make a whole new account and be a new member

Haven't tried this yet, but will going back and deleting your own posts LOWER your numbers?? Maybe Karl should try that and then re-apply ....

Dammit Karl, you shot yourself in the foot by being so active on the forum!!

[Low Light Mike]

hardy said:

extreamme said:

so basically if I want to get hired by BC Ferries I and I hit post 1499 before that happens I can't post any more or I would have to make a whole new account and be a new member

Haven't tried this yet, but will going back and deleting your own posts LOWER your numbers?? Maybe Karl should try that and then re-apply ....

Dammit Karl, you shot yourself in the foot by being so active on the forum!!

Sorry, the answer to your question is "No". Deleting posts will not result in a lower post total. I don't know why....because it would make sense that a post removed should be deducted from the total...if the system is smart enough to add the post to the total in the first place.

An inactive member has been purging various old posts, and his post total has remained unchanged.

[Quit]

Memo
To: Mr. Peter Sierk. President, and CEO, Flensburger Shipyards
From: David L Hahn.
Date: 7/14/2007
Re: Delivery Date of Coastal Vessels
Urgent Request
Hi Peter.
Once again, I wish to thank you & your entire staff at Flensburger for such an outstanding job on our three new vessels. I cannot tell you how thrilled not only myself & BC Ferries are with your outstanding work, but the entire province of British Columbia is eagerly anticipating the new ships.
This brings me to my next point.
As you are aware, there are some problematic ships in our aging fleet, & within the span of (24) hours, we have had two of our major ships break down, seriously impacting our service & credibility. Because of this unprecedented event this weekend, I feel it necessary to request a “Push for expediency” on the delivery of our vessels. I acknowledge the outstanding work & particularly the speed with which the ships are coming along & I am updated daily as to their progress. I realize your staff are working extremely hard in order to deliver the ships as to our agreed date, but in light of the current circumstance, I should like to request, if possible to upgrade the delivery of Coastal Renaissance to 31.08.07 & Coastal Inspiration to 12.01.07.
I realize & acknowledge this would require a tremendous effort on the part of everyone at Flensburger, and if it is of any help, we are willing to forgo the proposed Olympic Paint job in order to help the process.
Please let me know at your earliest convenience, whether-or-not your people are capable of meeting this challenge.

Yours in Friend(Ship).
David L. Hahn.

[Low Light Mike]

Oh yeah, we like the mystery guest posts, with creative writing here. ;D

Nice joke madam/sir.

[Hardy]

ROFL - nice piece of fiction -- would that it were to be true .... LOL

[Hardy]

flugelhorn said:

Sorry, the answer to your question is "No". Deleting posts will not result in a lower post total.

Yeah, I just tried this to make sure .... therefore, my post total is INFLATED by 3 -- I did this only as an experiment and NOT to pad my numbers (or gain rank, yadda yadda yadda) ....

[CN2972South]

I don't know what the big deal is. Us railroaders have to wear heavy canvas over-alls in all sorts of heat and you don't hear us complaining. If heat exhaustion and dehydration are an issue, drink lots of water.

BTW, no company is worse to work for than CN.

[Hardy]

Safety is by far the primary concern in any employment situation. There are tradeoffs however. CN5697S - I imagine that you work near active open machinery and in a fire risk area. If I am wrong, please correct me.

I can see how squibs on the ferries would need to wear heavier protective type garments. Hats though? Deck crew should be allowed more flexibility. There are options for maintaining a properly uniformed crew and still having comfort tradeoffs.

Whatever the case, though, as you correctly state, itis incumbent on the crew members to make sure that they are taking their precautions too, such as drinking water, taking breaks, to ensure that the climate does not have any undue consequences on them.

I work in moving and deliveries. We are approved to wear shorts - I choose not to, because I am working in other people's dirt, and the risk of cuts, abrasions, etc is high. It is my choice, and I deal with the soggy sweaty pants as a result.

I wear the level of uniform that I feel I need to, to protect myself as best as I can in my line of work.

In other jobs, I have either used lighter safety vests, or reflective "straps" only, or even in one case requisitioned safety tee-shirts so that I would not be wearing another layer.

There are always some options, as long as both sides are willing to come to the table and examine them in a reasonable tone.

[WettCoast]

Gee, I work in a smelter where radiant temperatures can top 80 degrees C, and they don't let us wear shorts - wonder why?

It is possible that ferry workers might experience heat exhaustion, but not heat stroke. Heat stroke is very serious and potentially fatal. I would think engine room crew, especially on older vessels, would be most at risk.

Jackie Miller is right, however. Calling in WorkSafeBC to mediate is an appropriate thing to do. For most ferry workers I do not expect that allowing them to wear shorts is any more risky than letting Posties wear shorts in the warmer months.