Union ends strike of B.C. Ferries with arbitration deal

VICTORIA, B.C. — Ferry service between Vancouver Island and British Columbia’s mainland was restored Friday when the provincial ferry company and its union agreed to binding arbitration and ended a strike.

A mediator proposed the solution early Friday after the two sides spent almost 20 hours talking with no agreement to end the walkout that started Monday.

Picket lines at ferry terminals came down at 10 a.m. and regularly scheduled ferry service resumed in the late afternoon.

The B.C. Ferries Services fleet carries an average of 22 million passengers and 8 million vehicles a year.

Union officials appeared to endorse binding arbitration more than the company, which is seeking contract concessions

"What we will have at binding arbitration is the opportunity to actually have someone listen to our arguments," said Jackie Miller, president of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union.

Miller said the union is confident it will be able to address the issue of privatization of B.C. Ferries, a former government Crown corporation, during the arbitration hearings.

Company President David Hahn said B.C. Ferries reluctantly agreed to binding arbitration because talks were going nowhere.

"We believe that a bargained solution is always the best solution," he said. "However, we do understand that the first priority is to restore service to the public."

At a morning news conference, Hahn suggested both sides shelve any bad feelings and help the arbitrator conclude a deal.

"Everybody at B.C. Ferries at both sides needs to take a deep breath and relax and forget the animosity as soon as possible and get back to serving the public," he said.

Mediator Vince Ready, a veteran of many disputes, suggested the arbitration early Friday after determining the two sides were far apart on several issues.

Binding arbitration means an arbitrator will hear both sides in the dispute and decide on a contract which ferry workers and the company will then be legally required to accept.

Issues in the strike include hours of work, contracting out and wages. The company has been seeking concessions it says are necessary to pay the huge cost of 22 new ships to be built over the next 15 years.