Kootenay Lake ferry workers launch 3-day strike amid contract negotiations

Ferry workers in the Kootenays region of British Columbia have begun a three-day strike following unsuccessful negotiations over their collective agreement, which expired in March.

The targeted strike means there will be no service between Balfour and Kootenay Bay this Labour Day weekend, with workers on standby for emergencies only.

Danielle Marchand, press secretary for the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, says the goal is to push the ferry workers' employer, Western Pacific Marine Ltd., to come back to the bargaining table after negotiations fell apart between May and June.

Company spokesman Bryan Coe says Western Pacific Marine put mediation and arbitration on the table in early June and is willing to start negotiating again at any time.

Overtime and wages are among the sticking points.

Full service on Kootenay Lake is set to resume on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

The ferry is the longest free ferry ride in the world and is usually packed with vehicles crossing KootenayLake during summer long weekends.

The Liberal government under Gordon Campbell privatized the running of inland ferries, and according to Bryan Coe, marine superintendentwith Western Pacific Marine, the companycan't afford the increases demanded by the union.