Washington State Ferries pulled 13 of its 18 vessels from service Monday after 23 engine room employees called in sick, disrupting ferry service across the Puget Sound region.
WSF said every employee qualified to fill the vacant positions declined to do so, leaving the ferries unable to operate. The workers are all represented by the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), which represents engine room employees.
The staffing shortage canceled entire routes and reduced service on others. No boats were operating on the Seattle-Bainbridge Island, Edmonds-Kingston and Vashon-Southworth-Fauntleroy routes Monday morning, all of which are heavily used by commuters.
Service was also disrupted between Port Townsend and Coupeville. The Mukilteo-Clinton route had only one ferry operating, while the Anacortes-San Juan Islands route had 2 of 3 ferries out of service, resulting in multiple canceled sailings.
Washington State Ferries said its vessels are fully staffed at the start of each service day at U.S. Coast Guard-required levels. When employees call in sick, dispatchers try to find qualified replacements, but a vessel cannot sail when those positions remain unfilled.
“We understand how disruptive this is to thousands of Washingtonians,” WSF said, adding that it expects the employees to return to work as soon as possible.
Gov. Bob Ferguson said he understood the impact the disruptions were having on Washington residents and said he was meeting with Washington State Ferries officials.
To help passengers affected by the cancellations, Kitsap Transit said its Bremerton Fast Ferry would operate 2 extra midday sailings Monday, one departing Bremerton at 12:15 p.m. and another from Seattle at 1 p.m. The fast ferries are passenger-only.
It remains unclear why the 23 engine room employees called in sick or what caused them to miss work. Washington State Ferries has not provided further details about their absences.