Originally published March 6, 2010 at 3:40 PM | Page modified March 6, 2010 at 7:21 PM

State House bill would curtail travel money for ferry workers

Lawmakers want to end a practice of paying some state ferry workers for their travel to and from terminals. The benefit earned one deckhand nearly $73,000 last year.

By The Associated Press

EVERETT — Lawmakers want to end a practice of paying some state ferry workers for their travel to and from terminals. The benefit earned one deckhand nearly $73,000 last year.

On Friday, the Washington House passed a bill that would give the governor a stronger hand in negotiating worker benefits. The aim is to move ferry worker benefits closer to what other state employee union contracts provide.

Two days earlier, the Senate acted on another bill that goes further. That bill aims directly at the ferry worker perk that provides free ferry passage even after their employment ends.

Washington State Ferries paid nearly $6.4 million in reimbursements to 700 of its 1,700 workers last year.

One deckhand received $72,950 in travel reimbursements last year. That's $13,000 more than his yearly salary. Twenty-five other employees collected more than $30,000 apiece.

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