The member bargaining committee representing about 90 unionized ferry workers operating on Arrow Lake and Adams Lake has reached a tentative agreement with their employer, according to an Oct. 26 B.C. Government Employees Union (BCGEU) statement.
"On Friday, our union bargaining committee reached a tentative agreement with WaterBridge Ferries that we feel meets the requirements for sustainable service that we laid out at the beginning of bargaining," said BCGEU President Paul Finch.
The union says it has paused job action that began in late September.
Water Bridge Ferries says services on the Upper Arrow Lake Ferry (Shelter Bay to Galena Bay), the Needles Ferry (Fauquier to Needles), the Arrow Park Ferry (junction of Upper and Lower Arrow Lake) and the Adams Lake Ferry (Chase to Sorrento) have all returned to normal.
The BCGEU says the job action will be ended entirely once workers accept the agreement. A vote is expected in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the BCGEU says negotiations are ongoing with Western Pacific Marine, which operates the Kootenay Lake Ferry between Balfour and Kootenay Bay, the Glade Ferry and the Harrop-Proctor Ferry.
The union represents about 80 workers at Western Pacific Marine. Those workers first voted in favour of a 72-hour strike notice in mid-September.
