Job Action/Overtime Ban/Essential Sailings Priority Boarding Information
from the Mainstreet news desk
Sept 23/19 – East Shore Kootenay Lake: Readers can still go to ferries.bcgeu.ca for info about the current and next day’s sailing plan. Mainstreet also had a discussion with Bryan Coe, Marine Superintendent with Western Pacific Marine to talk about the priority boarding concerns during essential-sailing-only times (such as Tuesday, Sept 24/19, where there will only be sailing at 6:30am/8:10am and 4:30am from Balfour, with return trips from Kootenay Bay).
Coe says he has been and will be down at the landing during these restricted sailing times, sometimes along with the picket captain from the BCGEU, identifying travellers and answering questions. At this point, no one is being turned away when the boat is sailing, but Coe says that will likely come.
He stated, “People shouldn’t avoid travel right now for fear of not getting on… YET…” He said that it will happen later if true strike action comes back into play. Right now, with job action (the overtime ban) and essential sailings occurring, he encourages health professionals, teachers and students to carry their ID’s to be sure of travel, but it hasn’t been necessary to provide that information yet. He also stated that later, in a true strike situation with essential service runs going on, he might okay a traveller to board, but be overruled by the picket captain, so asks for people to carry whatever ID they can to prove their priority for travel.
In the meantime, Coe is happy to answer questions. You can email him at bryanklf@shawbiz.ca or call him at 250.354.7658 or the main office at 250.229.5650. Coe cautioned that we can likely expect to see this kind of scheduling for the rest of the week and beyond.
Click on the pdf above to look at the Essential Service Agreement Order for Kootenay Lake, submitted by Jocelyn Wagner, Communications Officer for the BCGEU.