May 8, 2017 email from WSF Communications Director Ian Sterling
Hi Susannah,
Let’s start with assignment pay. Assignment pay is pay added to certain job classifications in recognition
of specialized skills and duties and is commonly used in both government and private industry. However,
assignment pay language was eliminated from the 17-19 CBA’s. New ‘relief’ job classifications were
instead created in the contracts to reflect the distinct relief positions instead of having a separate
“assignment pay” differential as a percentage on top of another job class. The change doesn’t cut costs,
but it does simplify payroll and helps make multiple contracts more uniform. The additional pay for the
relief positions, (including the assignment pay), is not based on travel, rather relief positions have added
duties and expertise above and beyond what their non-relief counterparts are required to have.
According to the CBA’s, Relief Employees are required to maintain expertise and knowledge on multiple
classes of vessels and be assigned throughout the system. Specific reasons for the additional
compensation include:
1. Familiarization on multiple classes of vessels and/or routes.
2. Knowledge of system waterways including currents, tides, weather conditions and the effects on
routes.
3. Knowledge of Coast Guard stability requirements on multiple classes of vessels.
4. Performing documented break-in on multiple classes of vessels.
5. Knowledge of specific emergency evacuation plans, safety systems, emergency equipment and ability
to take charge of an unfamiliar crew during emergent situations consistent with the Muster list.
The approximately 125 Employees that are part of the new relief job classes will receive paid vacation
and paid sick leave based on their new rate of pay as part of their compensation.
As for passenger counting costs. The primary reason was U.S. Coast Guard direction. In an effort to
immediately comply with our federal regulator we added staff to our two multi-destination routes. This
was not pre-approved as you note and WSF absorbed the cost. Leadership felt the situation warranted
an immediate response to the Coast Guard’s concerns.
You assert: that both Liz and Greg told me WSF had saved $10 million so far in travel time. It is clear this
is not true, and I will be reporting that. If you can send me a statement on that, I will include it.
Statement: Washington State Ferries is proud of our employees and of their hard work and dedication in
the face of steadily growing ridership and an aging fleet. They safely moved 24 million passengers last
year. Much like the rest of the maritime industry, we are faced with a shortage of qualified mariners
who can generally earn more working for private maritime companies that also conduct business in
Puget Sound.
From 2011 to 2017 travel time savings totaled approximately $10.3 million which has helped offset
other expenses in newer contracts.