Maine contracted with an out-of-state agency on Tuesday to help bring in more workers for state ferry boats after staffing shortages forced trips to be canceled. But the union representing state ferry workers is concerned about the arrangement, arguing that money would be better spent on hiring more in-state workers.
Throughout the last several months, the Maine State Ferry Service has had to cancel ferry trips because of staffing shortages. The cancellations have mostly affected the island of Vinalhaven, leaving residents stranded on the mainland and island lobstermen unable to transport their product.
Paul Merrill, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation, said since Jan. 1, the ferries have completed 90 percent of their scheduled runs. However, he understands that even a single cancellation disrupts lives, and he said the agency’s goal is to complete every run.
In order to make that happen, the state is bringing in out-of-state workers.
The ferry service is partnering with Seaward Services, Inc., an Indiana-based company that offers operation and maintenance of government and commercial vessels.
“Our goal is to crew the boats with our own employees, but given the circumstances of our lingering staff shortages, this new contract represents another option we have to fill in the required on-duty crew positions to keep the boats running on schedule,” Merrill said.
Merill said using staffing agencies is nothing new for the ferry service, although it has more commonly looked to in-state ones such as Maine Staffing Group. But members of the Maine Service Employees Association Local 1989, which represents ferry workers, are frustrated that the state is taking jobs elsewhere rather than hiring in-state employees.
Peter Drury, who is a retiree member of MSEA Local 1989 after captaining the Vinalhaven ferry for 26 years, said the service no longer has a bank of temporary employees to pick up shifts when there’s a shortage — a practice that was common when he was a captain before 2022.
He said it would be better to hire employees from within Maine, either through contractors or another temporary hiring system, as it could lead to more loyalty within the ferry service. He also argued it would be more likely that temporary employees would go for full-time jobs if they live in Maine. Plus, locals are more familiar with the area.
“Someone like me, who’s retired, wouldn’t mind working a day or two here and there, particularly some of the retirees who live on the island,” Drury said.
Drury said he reached out to the Maine State Ferry Service to offer his help as a captain or deckhand, but he was referred to Maine Staffing Group, which doesn’t work with captains.
Drury has previously said that one of the main problems with the ferry service’s staffing shortage is low pay.
Some of the salaries for the Seaward employees are higher than for state workers and some are lower, according to figures provided by Merrill that included benefits.
For example, an engineer costs the Maine State Ferry Service $803.33 per 12 hours in pay and benefits, while Seaward engineers cost $935. Able-bodied seamen in Maine — who work on the decks of ferries — cost $641.44 per 12 hours, while Seaward able-bodied seamen cost $595.
The state will also be paying Seaward a $500 daily administrative fee.
Merrill also contended that the Mills administration has been consistently raising state employee wages since 2019 and providing stipends to encourage people to apply for the jobs that are desperately needed. He said wages for Maine state employees will continue to go up, with a 3 percent cost-of-living increase on July 1 and another increase by July 2025.
“We’re exploring all the options we have to get these boats safely crewed to make sure they run when people expect them to run,” Merrill said.