Jake: Will anyone lose their job over the WSF ‘sick-out’?

I’m watching the Washington State Ferries “sick-out” from a safe distance, shaking my head. Thank the Lord I don’t have to get on a boat today, not that I could even if I wanted to. And the question on everyone’s mind: What are they going to do about this?

Here’s what we know: dock workers told KIRO Newsradio the cancellations stem from engineers calling out sick as they push for higher wages. Washington State Ferries (WSF) hasn’t confirmed the absences are coordinated.

How much more confirmation do you need? Smells like a sick-out to me.

The real scandal is how fragile this system is

Reportedly, 23 engine room employees don’t show up, and the whole ferry system grinds to a halt. How is it that vulnerable?

About 55,000 passengers ride every day. Now what? Drive around, I guess. I’ve done it plenty of times, and depending on ferry traffic, it can honestly be faster. That’s not the point.

Think about emergency vehicles

Normally it’s first come, first served, but state law moves ambulances to the front of the line. Lives are saved because an ambulance makes the boat faster than it could drive around. Do emergencies take a day off during a sick-out?

Here’s what’s rarely discussed: public employee strikes are illegal in WA

Look it up. Public employees can collectively bargain, but state law says the right to strike is not granted. Slowdowns and refusals to work are off limits too.

I know, that sounds crazy given how often public unions float the idea. And yes, technically this isn’t a strike. But it’s the same reason teachers’ unions don’t think twice about threatening one: there are no repercussions from elected leaders.

When was the last time you read about a public sector strike ending in firings? I did some digging and couldn’t find a single job lost.

Try that at your private sector job. Skip work and see how long you stay employed. I bet it’s not long.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ferries. The views are fantastic. But the system has problems even when nobody’s staging a sick-out. I’m as tired as you are of sitting in line, refreshing the website, and learning the boat is late or cancelled for lack of crew. And it happens all the time.

So will this sick-out build public support for higher pay, or sink it?

For me, it comes down to one person: someone in a medical emergency who needs a hospital, where the time saved on a ferry run could be the difference between life and death. Not today.

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