Residents of Harrop and Glade have been deluging politicians with mail for the past few weeks.
They want their representatives to do something to prevent drastic changes that could happen soon as a result of the strike action against their cable ferries .
Depending on a decision to be made at the B.C. Labour Relations Board this week, the number of crossings may be drastically reduced and only passengers deemed to be essential may be allowed to board.
Normally the Glade Ferry (a three-minute crossing with a capacity of ten vehicles) operates on demand, from 5 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., and the Harrop Ferry (a five-minute crossing with a capacity of 24 vehicles) operates on demand 24-7. The essential service order would restrict the Harrop Ferry to eight round trips per day, and the Glade Ferry 16 to round trips per day, on a schedule decided by the employer, Western Marine Pacific.
Members of the B.C.General Employees Union have been on strike against Western Pacific Marine, which operates these ferries and the Balfour-Kootenay Bay ferry since Nov. 3.
Residents of Harrop and Glade have been demanding since before Christmas that MLA Brittny Anderson step in and fix the strike. Anderson had little to say publicly until Jan. 4 when she released a statement explaining that the Labour Relations Board was set up as an independent body to avoid politicians interfering in labour disputes.
She said she understands how "frustrating and devastating" the dispute has been for the community, and she said her role has been to "keep up to date on the situation and ensure my constituents are kept informed."
Regarding the strike notice that would limit the number of crossings on the cable ferries, Anderson said, "While service levels will be reduced, there will still be service on the cable ferries, and emergency services will always be maintained."
She encouraged both parties to remain at the table.
"The best deals are always reached at the bargaining table," Anderson said.
On Jan. 2, NDP MLA Steve Morrisette, who represents Glade as part of his Kootenay-Monashee riding, issued a statement calling the situation "troubling" and he called upon the parties to reach an agreement.
"The best deals are always reached at the bargaining table," Morrisette said, perfectly echoing Anderson.
Andy Davidoff, who represents Area I (which includes Glade) on the Regional District of Central Kootenay board, published an open letter to the Minister of Labour on Jan. 5 in which he criticized the process of Labour Relations Board decision-making.
"The level of anxiety and mental anguish that this has created in my community is immense," he wrote. "My constituents have expressed that they 'feel trapped' and are 'being held hostage' by the parties in this dispute ... and that their mental health and safety and welfare has been extremely impacted."
Davidoff said the LRB's decision-making process has not been fair, and that it has appeared to focus on getting a "speedy and inexpensive adjudication." Instead, residents should have the legal right to be heard as parties to the dispute, and he called for legislation to be changed in order to allow this.
He asked the minister to intervene and cancel the "unjust" essential services order.
Cheryl Graham, who represents Area E (which includes Harrop-Procter) on the RDCK board, stated in a Jan. 5 letter that she agrees with Davidoff.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour, she said, "The planned eight runs per day is woefully insufficient to supply even the most basic crossings needed for these communities to function and is less than 10 per cent of the regular ferry service."
Graham criticized the board for deeming that the act of going to work is not considered essential, other than for health care workers and teachers. She listed a variety of other activities, such as grocery deliveries, church services, propane deliveries, and pharmaceutical prescription pickup that should be considered essential in an isolated community.
Kootenay-Columbia Conservative MP Rob Morrison issued a statement on Jan. 3 calling for the restoration of full ferry service. He encouraged the province to designate all Kootenay Lake ferries as essential services.
Referring to the Harrop ferry, Morrison emphasized that "600 residents, including 40 per cent seniors, rely on the 24/7 ferry service for essential medical care, employment, education, and basic supplies ... This ferry isn't a luxury – it's their only lifeline to the outside world."
