IMPASSE TO BE BROKEN: WSF Engineers’ union and State of Washington enter arbitration today
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IMPASSE TO BE BROKEN: WSF Engineers’ union and State of Washington enter arbitration today

Friday, August 23, 2024 Washington State Ferries’ engine room crew represented by their union, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, and state negotiators in the Washington Office of Financial Management reached an impasse in bargaining over terms and conditions of their contract. They begin interest arbitration today, Friday, August 23. Arbitration is expected to be complete by next Friday,…

BREAKING: Governor rejects San Juan County funding proposal for expanded walk-on ferry services during WSF inter-island outages
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BREAKING: Governor rejects San Juan County funding proposal for expanded walk-on ferry services during WSF inter-island outages

ORIGINAL: Wednesday, August 21, 2024 @ 12:50 p.m. Asked and answered.And the answer is no. CNL2 has learned that a representative for Governor Jay Inslee have told leaders of San Juan County government that the State will not agree to the proposal made by the County for special supplemental passenger ferry and small barge services…

WSF engineers to vote on State’s contract offer – If rejected arbitration starts in 2 weeks
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WSF engineers to vote on State’s contract offer – If rejected arbitration starts in 2 weeks

FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT BY THE MARINE ENGINEERS’ BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION Friday, August 9, 2024 Seattle, WA –  Members of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A) Washington State Ferry workers bargaining team are taking the state’s offer of a pay scale 30% lower than deck crew to their members.  If members reject the offer, the parties…

Town wastewater treatment plant recognized for outstanding performance
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Town wastewater treatment plant recognized for outstanding performance

FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT BY THE TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR, WASHINGTON Friday, August 9, 2024 The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) has presented the Town of Friday Harbor sewer treatment plant with the 2023 Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance award.  The plant is one of 118 out of more than 300 plants statewide to…

WSF Engineers detail complaints at Tuesday’s M.E.B.A. press conference
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WSF Engineers detail complaints at Tuesday’s M.E.B.A. press conference

CNL2 traveled to Downtown Seattle Tuesday to cover a press conference of the union for Washington State Ferry engineers. The 175-year-old Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA) has approximately 400 members who keep the WSF vessels running. The first part of the interview includes multiple engineers reading prepared remarks. Then union officials make statements and answer…

Governor’s Policy Advisor Talking with SJC Council Chair Fuller – Could Lead to Chat with Governor
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Governor’s Policy Advisor Talking with SJC Council Chair Fuller – Could Lead to Chat with Governor

NOTE: This article first appeared in the Journal of The San JuansIf you’re not a subscriber to The Journal, it costs just $5.95 every four weeks!Subscribe here! By Jeff Noedel SAN JUAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON NEWS — A lot has happened in the five days since the San Juan County Council gave Chair Jane Fuller the nod to…

Community Water Taxi Releases Inter-island Survey Results
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Community Water Taxi Releases Inter-island Survey Results

FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT BY COMMUNITY WATER TAXI In mid-February of 2024, the Community Water Taxi (CWT) released a survey meant to capture the community impacts of unreliable Washington State Ferries (WSF) interisland service on San Juan County (SJC) residents and offer a more complete picture of the current crisis in SJC and islanders’ specific…

SPECIAL GUEST DROPPED IN THIS AFTERNOON: State Representative The Hon. Alex Ramel
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SPECIAL GUEST DROPPED IN THIS AFTERNOON: State Representative The Hon. Alex Ramel

A CNL2 VIDEO IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE State Representative Alex Ramel (he says it rhymes with “camel”) is a Democrat who lives in Bellingham. And he is one of the San Juans’ two state representatives in Washington’s 40th legislative district. Mr. Ramel is running for reelection unopposed this year, so there’s an…

BREAKING:  San Juan County Council Agrees to Phone Governor Jay Inslee – Will Ask Gov to Declare State of Emergency in WSF Service in San Juans
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BREAKING: San Juan County Council Agrees to Phone Governor Jay Inslee – Will Ask Gov to Declare State of Emergency in WSF Service in San Juans

In a San Juan County Council “workshop meeting” this morning, the Council agreed that the deteriorated quality of the services of Washington State Ferries — especially the inter-island service — has now risen to a “state of emergency.” The word “emergency” was uttered 10 times during the approximately 40-minute-long discussion. No vote was taken, but…

Washington State Ferries Selects ABB as Propulsion Single-source Vendor for 5 New Hybrid Ferries
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Washington State Ferries Selects ABB as Propulsion Single-source Vendor for 5 New Hybrid Ferries

ABB has been awarded a contract by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to serve as the propulsion single source vendor (PSSV) for its groundbreaking new hybrid electric 160-auto ferries. This project marks a significant milestone in the evolution of sustainable maritime transportation in the US and beyond, with ABB playing a pivotal role in the development…

PART 2 OF 3:  Cindy Wolf Has a Bold Vision for Transportation in the San Juans of the Future (includes a viewer comment)
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PART 2 OF 3: Cindy Wolf Has a Bold Vision for Transportation in the San Juans of the Future (includes a viewer comment)

A CNL2 VIDEO IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGEA VIEWER COMMENT IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE Friday, July 12, 2024 at 4:06 a.m.Video Directed by Jeremy Tyler Part 2 of the 3-part interview of San Juan County Council Representative Cindy Wolf begins with a discussion of today’s political climate. And she shares…

Manka Dhingra to Orcas Audience: ‘I will be the 1st immigrant and 1st person of color to serve as State Attorney General’
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Manka Dhingra to Orcas Audience: ‘I will be the 1st immigrant and 1st person of color to serve as State Attorney General’

CNL2 VIDEO AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE Monday, June 3, 2024 at 4:45 p.m.by Jeff Noedel Manka Dhingra — that’s a name you’ll be hearing over the next two months. As of Saturday morning, several dozen Orcas Island voters learned more about Dhingra, 51, one of three candidates for Washington State Attorney General. She…

Reichert Calls for New “Clean Diesel” Ferries Now
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Reichert Calls for New “Clean Diesel” Ferries Now

In an exclusive interview by CNL2 TV, GOP Governor candidate Dave Reichert called for new diesel ferries, and expressed support for a public-private run inter island water taxi service, as a stop-gap measure. He hopes for bipartisanship with a Democrat-led legislature, but also would work closely with mayors.