SIU members employed by NY Waterway recently ratified a new, seven-year agreement featuring significant wage increases and other gains.
The pact covers approximately 100 Seafarers who work for the popular commuter ferry service operating between points in Manhattan and New Jersey.
“A large majority of the members voted in favor of the new contract,” said SIU Jersey City Port Agent Ray Henderson, who led the union’s bargaining committee. “The negotiations took place from late October into November, and we signed the contract Dec. 5, following membership approval.”

Henderson credited the four rank-and-file members of the SIU negotiating committee for “working tirelessly and doing a truly outstanding job throughout the entire process.” Serving on the committee were Senior Deckhand/Shop Steward George Schumpp, Capt. George Sullivan, Capt. Michael Muia, and Senior Deckhand Nestor Martinez.
Schumpp, who retired at the end of 2024, had a unique perspective on the negotiations. He’s been part of at least five different bargaining committees during a career that spanned more than 37 years with the company, dating back to its fledgling days in the late 1980s.
“All around, I think this is one of the best contracts we’ve ever secured,” he said. “Negotiations went very well. We got the biggest wage increases for deckhands that we’ve ever gotten. We also [lowered] the cap on out-of-pocket medical expenses, and secured days of credit (toward pension benefits) that previously hadn’t been counted.
“I’m glad I was part of this one on the way out,” Schumpp concluded. “When I think back to the early days in the eighties, we didn’t even know if the company would make it. They had four boats (more than 30 are in the fleet now). But we’ve all come a long way.”
Muia stated, “We did very good with the contract. We got better raises than we’ve ever seen in my 25 years that I’ve been there. This shows some expected longevity for the company. Negotiations were great; we have a very good relationship with their negotiating committee.”
According to the company, since 1986, NY Waterway ferries have carried more than 300 million passengers.
Mariners sailing aboard SIU-contracted NY Waterway ferries have performed more than 100 rescues. The crews perhaps are best known for their roles in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when they evacuated upwards of 163,000 people from Manhattan.
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