'We've finally reached a fever pitch.' Steamship union in contract negotiations

The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority and the union that represents the ferry service workers, Teamsters Local 59, are engaged in critical contract negotiations concerning wages and scheduling as the current agreement approaches its July 26 expiration date.

Jeff Sharp, president and business agent for Teamsters Local 59, said the negotiations hinge on growing concerns about staffing levels and working conditions among the ferry service's employees. He also underscored the relationship between the hike in living costs in the region and the difficulty the organization is having in attracting new workers.

“We've had attrition, retirements, and people leaving for other reasons, and it's becoming increasingly harder to find people because it's so expensive to live here,” Sharp said. “We've finally reached a fever pitch, where all the writing has been on the wall to say, we're going to lose people, we're going to have trouble running schedules and our people are underpaid.”

Mathew McQuaid, the communications director for Teamsters Local 59, said there are two primary issues on the table during these contract negotiations: wage increases and fixed scheduling.

“We want an increase in wages commensurate with these workers' training and what other workers in the industry get paid,” McQuaid stated. “These workers want fixed scheduling, because a lot of times these folks are being asked to work 18 hours in a 24-hour period.”

Steamship Authority passenger ridership was 2.9 million in 2022, according to a recent annual report.

An exemption to work more hours

The typical industry standard for maritime workers is a 12-hour limit during a 24-hour period, McQuaid said, but the U.S. Coast Guard granted the Steamship Authority an exemption more than two decades ago that allows them to work more hours.

Sharp said that the current state of the economy and the high cost of living on the Cape and Islands have worsened the staffing challenges, explaining that many workers are forced to live farther away due to the unaffordability of local housing.

“The general economy is in disarray right now,” he said. “I mean, that's why this time around, negotiations are a little bit different, we’ve finally reached the point that we've been talking about for years.”

'We do not discuss union negotiations'

Sean Driscoll, the communications director for the Steamship Authority, said the organization maintains a policy of confidentiality.

“We do not discuss union negotiations and collective bargaining matters in public,” Driscoll said. “We are working with all of our bargaining units on new deals right now and we are confident that we will get there.”

James Malkin, Martha's Vineyard representative on the Steamship board, said the Authority used to be a job where younger people were hired on and worked up through the ranks. He said it’s much more difficult now because the older people are leaving and younger people are not being hired at the same rate.

“I've been talking, for the four and a half years I've been doing this, about the Steamship Authority being more proactive in our communications or recruitment, or retention and operations,” he said. “We need programs that make people want to work in this place, so that the Steamship Authority is an employer of choice.”

Legal constraints preventing strikes

The union's concerns about working hours are coupled with legal constraints preventing the workers from striking, as outlined by Massachusetts General Law 150E.

“They are public employees and legally prohibited from striking,” Driscoll said, indicating the necessity for continued work even after the contract expires .

Despite the challenges, Sharp said he is optimistic about reaching an agreement. But he said if the deadline expires without reaching a new agreement, workers will continue to get paid, crew ferry services and routes will run as scheduled.

“I'm always optimistic that we're going to reach a point and we will continue to negotiate with the Authority,” he said. “We will keep fighting for the contract that we deserve.”

Walker Armstrong reports on all things Cape and Islands, primarily focusing on courts, transportation and the Joint Base Cape Cod military base. Contact him at WArmstrong@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jd__walker.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Steamship Authority ferries must run despite union talks, agency says