Posts tagged blue state
Commentary: Strike by 23 staffers leaves blue-state commuters stranded – too bad state fired 120 staffers for vax refusal
October 7, 2026 // According to local NPR affiliate KUOW, "[t]housands of ferry riders in the Puget Sound region were left in the lurch Monday morning as major routes and dozens of sailings were canceled. "Nearly two dozen engine room employees called out sick, according to the state, and backup crew declined to fill in. The union representing the workers said Monday’s shutdown highlighted Washington State Ferries’ failure to hire more staff." The outlet said that "dozens of sailings were upended Monday" due to the sick-out, with only a few boats in operation. Washington State Ferries said on X that not only had the employees called out, but all employees qualified to keep the boats running declined to help out. "All of the employees calling in sick, and declining to fill those vacancies, are represented by the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA) who represent engine room employees," WSF said. As a result, all but five of the ships were out of service. If only there was something they could have done to avoid this. Oh, wait: Expand article logo Continue reading Fact check: Accurate. From a 2022 Washington State Ferries workforce planning report: First, the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing labor shortages in the maritime labor market. An estimated 3.2 million workers nationwide left the labor market between 2019 and 2021, impacting every sector of the economy. Second, WSF was particularly hard hit by employees not complying with the state vaccine mandates. It lost 120 crew members or approximately 6% of its operational workforce. Not only is this nearly double the state employees' rate of 3.2%, but the losses were also concentrated in critical occupations: 20 oilers and 40 temporary assistant engineers left their positions.