Unseen workers keep Washington’s ferries afloat

They have the dirtiest jobs in the ferry system. They are rarely seen by the public. They are key to the future of the ferry system, but there aren’t enough to go around.

They are the wipers, the oilers, the engineers. They are the workers in dirty overalls who keep Washington’s old ferries afloat. If there are problems with a boat, the 400 or so workers in the engine room are tasked with fixing them.

Brandon Powell, 39, is an oiler on Tacoma. He worked for Washington State Ferries (WSF) for 12 years and, like the others, is a Swiss army knife when it comes to boat maintenance.

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“We do everything from plumbing to electrical work to welding and fabrication,” Powell said. “We’ll chip off the corroded paint, and that could be where the passengers are on the deck of the car, or often it’s down in the engine room.”

I joked that it was all the fun, hot and dirty places on the boat.

“Oh, of course,” he laughed in agreement. “All spaces closed. Tanks and small areas. If you’re claustrophobic, it really wouldn’t be your cup of tea.”

The boats do not operate if these workers are not at work. They work seven consecutive 12-hour shifts and then have seven days off, but are routinely called in for overtime. When they return for their next seven-day shift, they switch from day to night. Day shift. Free time. The night shift. It’s called a “flip”.

Powell is married with five young children. He likes working for the ferry system, but he can make a lot more money in the private sector, and the pay gap for someone of a similar age working above deck is about 20% higher.

“An oiler is the most senior unlicensed worker in the engine room,” Powell said. “Quartermaster is the highest non-licensed position on deck. He is an able-bodied AB sailor working as a quartermaster. When I was hired 12 years ago, there was a 5% pay gap between the two. They made 5% more. Now they are over 20% more.”

Powell and his fellow engineers are asking the state to bring those wages back to parity during the current contract negotiations because the pay gap makes Powell and others in dirty overalls feel undervalued and underappreciated.

“We want to keep the ferries running,” he said. “We don’t want people to get stuck. We don’t want people to miss out on appointments, at the doctor. We don’t want them to miss work. We don’t want them to miss out on these special occasions in their lives. But at the same time, we need to feel valued by the state, and we’re not.”

Powell blamed the governor and the Washington Legislature for not treating these vital Washington ferry workers fairly.

“I don’t blame the deck department at all,” he said. “They are wonderful people. I hope I am treated equally with them.”

But the Silverdale native said he’s close to a decision he doesn’t want to make.

“Just a few days ago, and after a negotiation session, I told my wife that I was ready to give my two-week notice that I was ready to quit,” Powell said.

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The ferry service can’t afford to let Powell go. There aren’t enough engine room workers to run the ferries right now. The workforce is 40 to 50 people without the capacity to service all current boats, and the ferry service now operates only 15 of 22 boats.

The lack of a competitive wage also prevents the ferry service from attracting new workers to the workplace, and this puts the whole system at risk.

“I’d like to see the ferries go,” Powell said. “It’s such an iconic symbol of Washington state, and now it’s failing.”

Negotiations are likely to end this week without a new deal. Ferry workers cannot go on strike by law. The payment decision will be left to the discretion of the arbitrator.

The workers are seeking a 20% increase to bring their pay to parity. The union representing them says the state offered only 2%.

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