The Spin: Washington State Ferries’ ‘People First’ message puts workers ahead of stranded passengers

When a major disruption hits Washington State Ferries, the public wants to know what happened, how long it will last, and what officials are doing to help.

But the state’s response to Monday’s ferry shutdown focused first on something else: the workers who called out sick and the union representing them.

In public relations, discipline means knowing what you stand for and making sure every tweet, email, and press release reinforces those values.

Soon after an apparent sick-out by Washington State Ferries workers seeking a 20% pay raise amid ongoing contract negotiations shut down seven busy ferry routes Monday, the state posted a statement on social media.

It began with this explanation: “This morning, 23 engine room employees called in sick.”

The statement then said, “Every employee qualified to fill those positions has declined to fill them and keep the ferries running.”

It went on to identify the workers’ union, highlight how much the employees already make, and explain the impact on ferry service: 13 of the state’s 18 ferries were out of service.

Only after all of that did the statement turn to the people affected: “We understand how disruptive this is to thousands of Washingtonians.”

That caught my attention.

The Washington State Department of Transportation’s stated values include “People First: People are our purpose.”

Yet in this particular statement, it took six sentences to get to those people stranded by the disruption.

Instead, the state’s opening message focused on the employees who called out sick and their union, at a time when contract negotiations were underway.

That doesn’t necessarily tell us what the state intended the statement to accomplish. But it does tell us where the agency chose to put its emphasis.

And that is, perhaps, the PR lesson.

A statement isn’t just a collection of facts. The order of those facts sends a message.

If “People First” is a core value, readers should be able to see that value reflected in the communication itself, especially when thousands of people are dealing with a major disruption.

The question for any organization is simple: When the pressure is on, do your communications reflect the values you say you have?

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