The decision to get a handful of ferry runs back on schedule is apparently in the hands of the provincial ferry captains and the Canadian Merchant Service Guild.
In a news release Wednesday, the provincial government reiterated it had made a fair offer to the Canadian Merchant Service Guild, which represents the ferry captains, and urged them to take the latest offer they’ve received.
That includes a five per cent increase in wages, as well as increases in shift differential and other allowances.
The province indicated those particulars of the offer have been accepted, yet the strike remains in place, affecting residents on five runs around the province.
The holdup, according to the government, is due to the accepted date of the wage increase. The guild wants the date for retroactive pay to be July 1, 2018, while the province has countered with Jan. 01, 2020.
Also getting in the way of a resolution is the guild's desire to have the current daily sailing schedule included in the collective agreement.
The province says that could lead to an increase in overtime costs and limit any future operating flexibility.
“This is our offer. The province right now is not in the fiscal situation to move from the offer. It’s an offer that’s in line with everybody else that would have received increases in the public service,” Steve Crocker, president of the province’s treasury board, said Thursday at a news conference.
He indicated there were no plans by the provincial government to legislate the captains back to work, but he did not rule it out in the future.
“As this goes further, we realize the impact this is having on the people that live on these islands around the province,” said Crocker. “These islands, and these people, and all of us have felt the impacts of COVID and this is adding to the strains around the province.
“We want to get a deal here. We want them to reconsider the offer.”
The captains went on strike on Aug. 25 after negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement with the province stalled. The captains say they have been without a contract since 2012.
The strike affected five runs in the province, as they were shifted to essential service and ferry crossings were decreased. The runs affected are Bell Island-Portugal Cove, Ramea-Burgeo-Grey River, Fogo Islands-Change Islands-Farewell, St. Brendan’s-Burnside and Long Island-Pilley's Island.
In 2018, the service guild broke off negotiations with the provincial government and challenged the province’s essential service designations with the Labour Relations Board. During this time, any offers to return to the bargaining table were declined by the guild, the government says.
The last contact was July 31, when the guild informed the province of its intention to strike.
Since the strike started, there have been long lines of vehicles in all areas waiting to cross. It has put a strain on people who need to travel for medical appointments, as well as businesses.
Trucking companies trying to get supplies to areas like Fogo Island have seen their daily return trips turned into three days.
Meanwhile, some travellers have spent days trying to get on board a vessel.
“We’re down to essential service. Priority would be given to anyone with a medical emergency, medical appointment and procedure, they would be top priority on our ferries,” said Derrick Bragg, the minister of transportation and infrastructure.
In a written statement Thursday, a spokesperson with the Canadian Merchant Service Guild said it could not accept an agreement that would treat its members worse than the crew they supervise and other public servants.
The guild says the current offer does not accomplish that goal.
“Even with the new offer, the provincial government wants to treat the captains differently by limiting pay retroactivity,” the statement reads. “Pay retroactivity is a standard feature of all public-sector collective agreements and it was not limited for other public servants.”
The request to be treated equally extends to their schedule. Making the sailing schedule included in any agreement brings the captains in line with the schedules that the crew have.
According to the statement, the latest offer from the provincial government came only after it was informed of the guild’s intention to strike.
“The guild has offered and continues to offer (the provincial government) the opportunity to end the strike by referring this dispute to an independent arbitrator,” the spokesperson said.
— With files from David Maher
Nicholas Mercer is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering central Newfoundland for Saltwire Network
