Governor Ferguson Demands Return to Work After Ferry Sickout
Governor Bob Ferguson ordered the full restoration of Washington State Ferries service after engine room workers called in sick, sidelining 13 of 18 vessels.
Widespread crew shortages caused massive cancellations and delays across the Washington State Ferries (WSF) system on October 5, 2026. The disruption began when 23 engine room employees, all members of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), called in sick. Because these essential roles were unfilled and other qualified staff declined to fill the vacancies, 13 of the system's 18 ferries were taken out of service, affecting routes to Bainbridge Island, the San Juan Islands, and Edmonds-Kingston.
Bob Ferguson, the Governor of Washington, met with local and national MEBA leadership to discuss staffing levels and membership challenges. While Ferguson expressed a commitment to improving the workforce, he condemned the disruption, stating that causing harm and inconvenience to the public is not an acceptable way to address grievances. He issued a direct mandate requiring every vessel on every route to be fully operational by the first sailing on the morning of October 6.
WSF officials emphasized that the ferries cannot run without these specific roles being filled and called for employees to return to work immediately. MEBA denied coordinating a formal sickout, instead characterizing the event as a "frantic cry for help" from exhausted workers. In response to the staffing crisis, WSF representative Justin Fujioka noted that the agency is attempting to build its workforce through development programs, though credentialing for licensed positions can take years.
