BC Ferries lays off 1,400 staff, cancels routes as traffic plummets 80%

BC Ferries has laid off more than 1,400 employees and cancelled a major routebetween Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island as the corporation facesasteep drop in traffic.

A statement Friday said BC Ferries is seeing an80 per cent drop in passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To save money, the corporation said it issuspending service on the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bayroute linking West Vancouver and Nanaimo for 60 days.

Sailings are also being slashed for a number of other routes on the South Coast "to better match ferry service to currentdemand."

"Because of COVID-19,the decline in ferry traffic has been profound.It is unprecedented, and it has happenedvery quickly," CEO Mark Collins said.

The changes come into effect onSaturday. They will last 60 days. The corporation has never seen such a level of service cuts in its 60-year history, a spokesperson said Friday.

• Here's some more information about the service changes

The affected routes includeTsawwassen-Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen-Duke Point, as well as the Langdale-Horseshoe Bay route. Allservice on the Mill Bay-Brentwood Bay route is suspended.For northern and mid-coast communities, BC Ferries service will continue to operate at the current off-peak or winterservice levels.

The statement said overall capacity will be reduced by approximately half across the ferry network, compared to this time last year.

A spokesperson confirmed the temporary layoffs in aseparate email on Friday. No further details were immediately provided.

The BC Ferry & Marine Workers' Union (BCFMWU) is discouraged by the move saying the layoffs were announced without an agreement with the union in place.

"The next steps for us are to fight for our members to make sure workforce adjustments are done fairly and in accordance with our contract," said BCFMWU presidentGraeme Johnston."If not in accordance with our contract then in another agreement that respects the fairness and dignity of the workers and the families."

He says he would have liked to see BC Ferries apply for the 75 per centwage subsidy being offered by the federal government.

"That seems like an easy and clear thing to do and that's something urged on employers by the prime minister."

Johnston says catering and galley staff will be most affected by the layoffs. He expects to also see reductions in ticketing and terminal staff.

The corporation said it will monitor traffic during the reduced service over the next two months to ensure essential service is still happening. It will decide when service levels return to normal at a later date.