President’s update May 10: bargaining, safety, connecting with members

Hi everyone,

Eric here, just checking in with a quick update from the week. I’ve been battling a bit of a stubborn cold, but still managed to keep things moving on a few important fronts.

On Monday, we had a meeting about vessel movements on Route 6 and future job postings for the Crofton-based Island Class vessels. Tuesday was all about public sector bargaining—we met with the BC Federation of Labour and the BCGEU to get a clearer picture of how the province might approach bargaining and what that could mean for us at BC Ferries.

The rest of the week has been a mix of central negotiations prep, union-management consultations, and member meetings. I was in Horseshoe Bay yesterday and up in Courtenay this morning, meeting with community reps and the Ministry of Transportation to talk safety near the Buckley Bay terminal—especially traffic concerns that impact both our members and the public.

I wrapped up the day with a meeting on the protocol agreement that’ll shape our bargaining process with BC Ferries this summer.

Next week, SOC President Cameron Klassen and I will be up in Sandspit, Skidegate and Prince Rupert to meet with members from Locals 10 and 15. And we’ve got some online town halls coming up for Route 6 members in Locals 7 and 20. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for everything you do. Take care of yourselves and each other.