LOCAL
Rally March 8 in Bellingham to save Alaska jobs, ferry service
BELLINGHAM — Union members and community supporters in Whatcom County are urged to join a rally to Save Alaska Jobs and Ferry Service from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 8 at the Alaska Ferry Terminal, 355 Harris Ave. in Bellingham’s Fairhaven neighborhood.
The Alaska Marine Highway System, the state’s ferry service, is on the chopping block. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) has proposed slashing the system’s budget by 75 percent, which would cost 250 members of the Inlandboatmen’s Union their jobs. This ferry service is a lifeline for Native American villages that rely upon it as their sole affordable link to the rest of the state for health services, school programs, supplies, and access to the state capital Juneau.
These cuts also threaten 32 jobs and $4.2 million in economic activity that the Alaska Ferry generates in Whatcom County. No reservations are being accepted on the Alaska ferries after Sept. 30, 2019.
Please support IBU members by participating in this rally on Friday.