Negotiations between the Lax Kw’alaams band and the workers on the ferry to the community are continuing, but chief councillor Garry Reece notes that the ferry will continue to operate while the discussions take place.
“There is an agreement now in terms of the percentages and a few other things, but there is still discussions to be had,” he said on February 21.
According to Ken Lippet, who represents the unionized crew, the strike stopped when the band council made the first the first installment towards paying the unpaid wages, despite the council’s previous position that it did not owe the crew money for the hours in between sailings. Before that, the Council had hired a new crew to replace the strikers and restore ferry service to Port Simpson, which has had to rely on water taxis during the strike.
The replacement crew did not possess all the certifications required to operate the ferry and were not allowed to sail.