The BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union is looking for ways to ensure that a violent incident between a passenger and BC Ferries staff aboard a vessel on Saturday never happens again.
According to Eric McNeely, the president of the union, the passenger was on one of the vehicle decks on the Spirit of British Columbia leaving Tsawassen when the crew was reminding passengers that they needed to vacate their vehicles and head up to the passenger decks due to Transport Canada regulations.
“The passenger approached the deckhand and, without provocation, became physically violent, including punching the deckhand. Once the deckhand was able to separate from the passenger, they were able to call for help,” McNeely told 1130 NewsRadio on Monday.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The passenger then went back to their vehicle, when a second officer came down and was able to have a “discussion” with the passenger.
“Seemed like the person calmed down, and then all of a sudden, the passenger got out of their vehicle, ran across the car deck, and up the stairwell into the cafeteria. They ran through the cafeteria, which was full of people getting breakfast, and jumped over the steam table, which is where the food is being served from, and landed on their back behind, where crew works,” he explained.
“During that time, the second officer was able to catch up the passenger, and the passenger started kicking the second officer, after a number of kicks, the second officer reached and grabbed the passenger’s foot or their boot, and then the passengers sort of spun around and bit the second officer in the arm,” McNeely alleged.
He adds that extra staff were able to subdue the passenger until the vessel docked at Swartz Bay. The second officer was then taken to hospital to be assessed.
“I have spoken with the second officer, and they are doing better, but I think there’s some areas that we can improve — some of the policies and procedures in place for these superiors to ensure both our members and the traveling public are as safe as possible,” McNeely said.
“We wouldn’t want this to happen again. And certainly, it could have gone worse if the passenger, for example, had gotten into the galley and taken a knife or something,” he explained.
McNeely says that while the rate of incidents that involve bites or similar remains rare, “physical altercations happen more than they should, and I think that’s something that people don’t necessarily think about when they’re traveling on a ferry.”
“It’s not the same kind of work as you would do on a tug and barge, or necessarily the Coast Guard. It’s a different environment, and certainly violence has no place in it.”
McNeely shares that in a survey done a few years ago, 50 to 80 per cent of union members had been verbally or physically assaulted during their career.
“It’s an unacceptably high number of our members who receive physical or verbal abuse. So I think as we look at how ferries are operating, and I think the longer sailing waits, the reservation capacity, and you know, going into summer with high peak season, we are seeing some more frustrated travellers. The vast majority of the public is good, as you know, positive when they travel, but some folks do get frustrated, and some folks may have substance or mental health issues, and that’s something that can create challenges for our members.
In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, BC Ferries says it is deeply concerned by the incident.
“Our employees work hard every day to provide a safe and enjoyable journey for the thousands of passengers that travel with us. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Sonia Lowe, senior communications advisor, said.
“We are committed to maintaining a working environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We are taking this incident seriously and continue to reinforce our zero-tolerance policy for violence and abuse. We are offering support to the affected crew members and will be conducting an internal review to assess what occurred and identify any additional measures that may be needed,” she added.
McNeely says the deckhand and second officer remain on the job after Saturday’s incident.
The Sidney North Saanich RCMP announced that the suspect is facing charges and is to appear in court in September this year.
“Not everyone is able or willing or capable of taking physical assaults, and certainly, I think if it was, if you’re new to BC Ferries, as is the case this time of year with new employees, this could be a really career altering interaction for a new employees,” he explained.
McNeely says the union will now be consulting with its members who were directly impacted to see how the employer can shore up onboard safety.
“It’s not just for our folks traveling between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. We also need to think about locations where passengers may be on the vessel for a lot longer period. In the north coast, where people can be on board for a day, day and a half, and ensuring that everyone getting on board the vessel is in a state where they’re able to travel, and they aren’t a risk to the crew or the traveling public.”
1130 NewsRadio has reached out to the Sidney North Saanich RCMP for more information.