BC Ferries invites unvaccinated workers back amid staffing shortage
In the heart of the pandemic, BC Ferries put approximately 150 unvaccinated people on unpaid leave. Now with the federal vaccine mandate lifted, it’s giving those employees a choice.
"Now there's an opportunity for those folks to come back to work, which we’re hoping will provide some relief for the shortage of workers we have," said Eric McNeely, provincial president of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union.
BC Ferries is federally regulated as it falls under the transportation sector. The company says it’s now reaching out to those it put on leave to see if they want to work amid significant staffing shorrtages.
"I’m not sure how many will come back and won’t come back yet," said McNeely. "I think there’s still quite a few people who haven’t been contacted."
The union representing BC Ferries workers has two pending arbitrations with the company.
One involves a shore-based employee who feels their job could have allowed them to work from home but wasn’t given the opportunity. The other involves all the employees who were put on unpaid leave.
"We’re certainly looking at what damages occurred and then whether or not the process should occur again if there’s something in the fall," said the union president.
In simple terms, the union is seeking job security for its members if the vaccine mandate is brought back.
A crew member walks on the vehicle deck of the BC Ferries' vessel Island Sky while travelling on the waters off the Sunshine Coast, from Saltery Bay to Earls Cove, B.C., on Friday, March 17, 2017. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"BC Ferries is one of the few employers that was caught under a government mandate," said Lia Moody, who is the Western Canada practice leader for employment law with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
Moody says BC Ferries had no choice but to implement the federal policy. Now that it has been lifted, the company is obligated to either return those individuals to the workplace or offer them a severance package.
She says in this case, BC Ferries needs those employees back because of staffing shortages, but she also points to other sectors where business could still be struggling to rebound, post-pandemic.
"I think the airline sector is a really good example of that," said Moody.
"In any area where business is down or inflationary pressures are expected to do a number on a business' prospects, or they’ve had to reduce services," she said.
While the lawyer says some airlines may not have the funds to bring back unvaccinated workers, BC Ferries is seeing a surge in summer travel. It needs those workers fast or more cancellations are on the horizon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.