WSF Schedules Suffer after Vaccine Mandate Deadline Ended

The vaccine mandate officially commenced on October 18 for Washington State Ferry workers and as a continued result of the unwillingness to get vaccinated, the system has found themselves in a schedule crunch crippling the system with delays and schedule changes with less ferries in transit.

Introducing a deadline for the mariners to get vaccinated did not help the push, rather it backfired. An estimated 200 Washington State Ferries employees which is actually the largest ferry system in the US have declined to get vaccinated and rather have accepted their fate of being fired.

An employee who has been with WSF for 24 years stated his career was abruptly ending due to the mandate.

WSF released a statement that said, “Washington State Ferries continues to operate an Alternate Sailing Schedule on most routes until further notice. These changes will help offer more predictable and reliable service systemwide in the face of crewing shortages due to a global shortage mariners that has been worsened by the pandemic.”