Staten Island Ferry service was temporarily delayed due to worker shortage
NEW YORK (PIX11) --- The Staten Island Ferry was running with significant delays during Tuesday morning's commute due to a worker shortage, officials said.
Before 6 a.m., the boats were departing the St. George Terminal on the hour and from the Whitehall Terminal every half hour, according to the Department of Transportation. Full service was restored just after 6 a.m., according to a DOT tweet.
"The #StatenIslandFerry is operating normally this morning 7/18, with regular AM service," the agency said.
Sources said crew members began calling out sick Monday night, possibly connected to an ongoing labor dispute.
A DOT official told PIX11 News the agency was able to get enough staff to fill in last minute.
"We’ve dealt with this in the past so we know how to handle stuff," the official said.
In response to the disruptions, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said it was imperative for the city to strike a fair deal with the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association (MEBA), the union representing workers on the Staten Island Ferry.
"They have not had a contract for over 13 years. We are losing talented mariners and captains to the private sector. It's impacting service reliability," the politician said.