Washington State Ferries is Suffering from Low Worker Morale [View all]

Morale is sinking fast aboard Washington ferries, or so a high-level show of hands shows.

The top brass over at the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association said as much on Thursday from Colman Dock in Seattle. They pinned the problem on burnout, staffing shortages, and a widening wage gap they say is driving experienced engineers out of the system faster than Washington can replace them.

A June 2026 survey of Washington State Ferries engine room workers says it all. More than 60 percent of respondents said they’re angling to retire or leave WSF for another job. More than 55 percent said they were none too happy about the jobs they have now.

It’s not hard to see why. That same survey also found over 42 percent of engineers canned vacations or time off because of staffing shortages and overtime demands. The very same 25 engineers logged between 585 and 1,504 overtime hours in one year flat.

https://www.postalley.org/2026/06/26/washington-state-ferries-is-suffering-from-low-worker-morale/