Seafarers once again are sailing aboard the Philadelphia-based passenger ferry Freedom.Hornblower Marine Services became the ferry’s new operator this past summer. In August, with pledge cards in hand from all of the crew members, the union filed for recognition as the mariners’ collective bargaining representative. The company agreed to recognize the union based on the card check.
As this issue of the Seafarers LOG went to press, both parties were awaiting finalization of a first contract for signature. In the interim, the crews are covered by a temporary agreement.
“The mariners made it clear that they wanted SIU representation, and the company respected their wish,” noted SIU Vice President Contracts Augie Tellez. “Both sides have bargained in good faith.”
The Delaware River Port Authority in the summer of 2003 added the Freedom to its RiverLink service between Philadelphia and Camden, N.J. The boat eventually replaced its predecessor.
The Freedom has a minimum crew of three and a crew of six when it carries its maximum number of passengers: 600. The ferry is equipped with two decks, a steel canopy, an insulated cabin and dual wheelhouses (one at each end).
The SIU has represented RiverLink crews since March 1992. At that time, the ferry service’s rebirth marked the resumption of a route that had stopped 40 years earlier. In 1952, the Haddonfield, also manned by Seafarers, made its final voyage across the Delaware River. The ferry closed because of new bridge construction and the rising operating costs, including insurance and fuel.
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