STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the Department of Transportation (DOT) struggles to provide full service on the Staten Island Ferry amid ongoing staffing issues, a union that represents well over 100 ferry workers claims that the city’s continued refusal to provide a new contract with higher compensation has contributed to the insufficient staffing.
In recent weeks, the Staten Island Ferry has been forced to provide modified service on a near-daily basis due to personnel issues inhibiting the department’s ability to adequately staff the necessary number of boats.
Late-night ferry riders have experienced the worst of these service disruptions, with the Staten Island Ferry being forced to shift from half-hourly to hourly overnight service multiple times a week, in some cases, for three nights in a row.
Borough President James Oddo has spoken to DOT officials, who said that there is currently an acute issue affecting personnel, but that new staff members are in the process of being trained and could come onboard as early as mid-September to help offset the current staffing issues and minimize service disruptions.
“We are working to get the Staten Island Ferry back to running full-time on 24/7 basis as soon as possible. Staffing issues have unfortunately forced us to cut back some overnight service at this time,” according to DOT spokesman Scott Gastel.
However, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), the union that represents the captains, assistant captains, mates, chief engineers and marine engineers on the Staten Island Ferry, said that acquiring and retaining staff has long-been a challenge due to the city’s refusal to offer competitive wages in an industry that’s currently in high demand.
Roland Rexha, secretary treasurer for MEBA and former shop steward at the Staten Island Ferry, explained that the union has been unable to reach a contract agreement with the city since 2010, resulting in over a decade in which union members have not received a wage increase.
“[Former Mayor Michael] Bloomberg refused to deal with the unions in 2010 and pushed the contracts off to [Mayor Bill] de Blasio,” Rexha said. “De Blasio offered a contract that was 10% over seven years, but the union felt the contract was unacceptable.”
The union rejected the contract, because in 2003, following a Staten Island Ferry crash that killed 11 people, the city commissioned a study that found that the ferry wasn’t staffing professional mariners or paying adequate wages for the position.
“The reality is, they did end up hiring professional mariners... guys who had experience sailing outside of New York Harbor, guys who had been on ships before. But in doing so, they still never paid us what the actual mariners wages are. They refused to pay us a competitive wage compared to other people with our titles,” Rexha said.
He claimed that the compensation currently being offered by the city is far below what union members could make elsewhere in the country, making it difficult for the city to acquire and retain these workers, who often leave for better-paying jobs.
“This idea that they have people in the pipeline is a misnomer, because nobody sticks around, they leave,” said Rexha. “Why would they stay at the Staten Island Ferry when it’s not even close to the industry wages?”
As an example, Rexha noted that captains on the Washington State Ferries make between $60 to $65 per hour, while captains on the Staten Island Ferry make just $40 per hour.
“In 2016, we went to negotiations with Office of Labor Relations [OLR] and offered them a contract that was similar to Washington State Ferries in terms of compensation, and they turned it down and said they’re not moving off the pattern,” said Rexha.
As a result of the lower compensation levels, Rexha said that many workers need to work extensive overtime hours just to earn enough to live in the city they serve.
“Overtime almost becomes mandatory, because you have to work overtime or you’re not going to make a livable wage in New York City,” he said. “If you don’t work overtime, who can support a family in New York City on $70,000 a year? Especially when you consider the level of responsibility these workers have.”
Ferry workers’ frustrations have grown in the past two years due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with workers now having to consider whether they want to risk exposing themselves to the virus for a job that’s offering below-market compensation.
“COVID has exacerbated the issue, because people are now scared to come to work. They’re dealing with the public on a daily basis. These people are coming in and keeping this operation going during the worst possible time and, honestly, they don’t feel appreciated by the city,” Rexha said.
The borough president has been supportive of the union’s efforts in recent years, saying that the city must agree to a new contract and offer competitive wages in order to adequately staff and retain these highly skilled positions.
“We need to get much more competitive in the marketplace if we are going to retain and draw that talent. You cannot have this union not have a contract and not be competitive in salary and benefits and think we’re going to be able to attract enough people to staff these positions,” Oddo said.
He noted that the lack of a new contract not only impacts the workers in the union, but also the tens of thousands of commuters who rely on the Staten Island Ferry providing full service on a daily basis.
“Staten Islanders need to know, and the administration needs to be reminded, because this situation impacts Staten Island. This impacts commuters. This impacts essential workers, the same folks that they call heroes,” he added. “So my hope is that we get some traction in the coming months to get a new contract collectively bargained.”
