BC Ferries workers getting ‘substantial’ pay increase, company says [Video]

BC Ferries has announced a retroactive one-year wage increase of 7.75 per cent for unionized employees.

The raise, which the employer described as “substantial,” was decided by an arbitration panel after wage negotiations with the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union came to a standstill last fall.

The increase will apply retroactively to Oct. 1 and remain in place until March 31, 2025.

In a statement, BC Ferries president Nicolas Jimenez called the wage hike “one of the largest increases in the company’s history.”

“We know wages haven’t kept up for our people and that more was needed for us to get back to being an employer of choice. I’m grateful to our people for the patience they demonstrated over the last few months,” said Jimenez.

Some workers, including licensed mariners, will be receiving “special increases” of up to an additional 10 per cent, according to the company.

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