Union says burnout to blame for frequent Halifax ferry cancellations

Staffing shortages and burnout are leading to frequent cancellations of ferry crossings between Halifax and Dartmouth, according to the union representing Halifax Transit workers.

Dozens of crossings, including many during morning rush hour, were cancelled on April 16 and 18 due to staffing issues, the union says.

“If we have a deckhand or a mate or engineer or captain go sick, they’re having a hard time filling the void,” said Ray MacKenzie, president of Amalgamated Transit Union 508.

He said staff sometimes work 16-hour shifts with no break in between to fill those voids, which leads to more sick calls.

“Our members are starting to get tired, and the work-life balance is really hitting hard,” he said.

There are 40 staff on the ferry crew, including five relief positions to cover vacations and sick calls. The number of designated relief positions hasn’t changed in more than a decade, MacKenzie said, despite adding two more ferries to the fleet and increasing the number of people who work on each vessel.

“In a perfect world, they’re staffed up. It’s just there’s no leeway for sick time,” he said.

In an email to CBC News, Sarah Brannen, a spokesperson for the municipality, said there are currently three open positions in Halifax Transit’s ferry division.

The agency “continues to actively recruit and train new operators to reduce potential service interruptions as much as possible,” Brannen said.

MacKenzie said he’s aware of recruitment efforts but retention is a key part of the problem.

He pointed to assaults on bus drivers, and the opportunity for ferry crew members to make more money elsewhere as a few of the issues he’s hearing from union members.

For every dozen new bus operators going through training, he said about eight are walking away from the job.