A group of labour unions representing thousands of skilled workers has launched a campaign urging BC Ferries to build future new vessels at home rather than awarding contracts to overseas firms. “What we’re asking for is for BC Ferries to commit today that they will build ferries in B.C., and we can pull together the conditions and the consortium to meet that moment,” Brynn Bourke, director of BC Building Trades said at a Monday morning news conference to announce the Build Them Here campaign. BC Ferries did not make anyone available for an interview but said in a statement that it works with many local shipyards on maintenance and retrofitting for its existing vessels. But it also pointed out that no Canadian firms submitted final proposals for the most recent contract awarded for the construction of four new ships. The successful bid in that instance came from China. “There are real economic benefits to growing Canada’s shipbuilding industry, and we support that objective,” BC Ferries said in the statement. “But building the capacity to compete for large passenger-vessel construction requires investment by government and industry.” Bourke says local firms did not have a fair shot against international competitors because many countries provide more support for their shipbuilding industries. “We were asking B.C. shipyards to compete against foreign shipyards that are being supported by their governments through industrial policies and local content requirements that we didn’t put on our own vessels,” she said. The union representing workers at BC Ferries says ships built overseas can be out of service for longer periods when they need maintenance and repairs. “Currently, with international vessels built internationally for the ferries fleet, we do quite often see delays in getting international teams in to do repairs, whether that’s warranty work or specialized work,” said Eric McNeely, president of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union. The group of 15 unions that launched the campaign represent more than 7,000 workers. “What we’re saying is the planning has to start now. It really should have started 15 years ago when we knew that these vessels were aging out,” said Bourke. “The planning needs to start now to put us in a position to make sure that the next vessels are going to be built in British Columbia.” CTV News reached out to the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth with questions about whether the province is considering providing additional tax breaks, loans or grants to the shipbuilding industry. This story will be updated if the ministries provide a response.
