Steamship Authority Reaches Agreements With Three Labor Unions On Pay Raises

After protracted negotiations, the Steamship Authority has reached agreements for new contracts with three labor unions representing nearly 300 of its employees, granting pay raises across the board in each of the next three years.

The new collective bargaining agreements were announced Tuesday afternoon following an executive session of the Steamship Authority's Board of Governors held at the ballroom of the Nantucket Hotel on Easton Street.

"This is good news for everybody," Rob Ranney, Nantucket's representative on the Board of Governors, told the Current Tuesday afternoon. "People don't understand how incredibly complex negotiations like this are. It took a long time, and there was back and forth from both sides."

The deals include pay raises ranging from 8 percent to 12 percent in the first year of the agreements.

"Part of it is looking forward as a lot of these increases are cost-of-living increases," Ranney said. "And as we’ve seen here locally, things have gotten very expensive. Housing, food, fuel, everything is very expensive, and that’s a big part of the negotiations and the increases. The cost of living here and on the Cape is out of control…Finding housing for people and all that stuff is very hard here, and it’s just as hard on the Cape. People working for the SSA can’t find housing on the Cape and they’re living farther and farther away, which adds to the cost of living."

The Steamship Authority's three new employment contracts are with the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA) and two units of the Teamsters Union Local No. 59. The MEBA unit covers about 60 of the Steamship's licensed engineering officers. The Teamsters Licensed Deck Officer unit includes about 60 of the Authority’s captains, pilots, and mates, while the Teamsters Unlicensed Vessel Employee unit covers about 160 of the SSA's deck department employees (ordinary and able-bodied seafarers, boatswains and pursers) and certain engine department employees (oilers and wipers).

The contracts will preserve the Steamship's current so-called "triple-crew watch schedule," in which crew members work 18 hours within a 24-hour period aboard the SSA vessels, followed immediately by 48 hours off. The scheduling and staffing of the vessels were among the most contested issues during the contract negotiations. The agreements leave open the possibility of shifting to a new staffing model in the future.

"MEBA and the Licensed Deck Officer bargaining units also each agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding memorializing an agreement to develop and potentially implement alternative crew watchstanding options on an island-based vessel in January 2027," the Steamship stated.

“After nearly two years of thorough negotiations, I am pleased that these crucial contracts have been settled prior to the start of the busy summer season,” General Manager Robert B. Davis said in a statement. “The acceptance of these contracts by all three union groups and by the Authority reaffirms the shared commitment to continuing to operate the Authority’s vessels in a safe and reliable manner.”

Members of all three bargaining units "overwhelmingly" voted in favor of their respective contracts, the SSA stated. The MEBA bargaining unit voted on June 11, and the Authority Board approved the contract at its monthly meeting, held Tuesday on Nantucket. The Licensed Deck Officer bargaining unit voted on May 20, 2025, while the Unlicensed Vessel Employee bargaining unit voted June 9, 2025. The Steamship Authority Board approved the Teamsters contracts in unanimous votes during the April 2025 and May 2025 executive session meetings, respectively.

Jeffrey Sharp, president of Teamsters Local No. 59, did not immediately respond to a message from the Current Tuesday afternoon regarding the new contracts.

“Our members have shown incredible solidarity and patience throughout this process,” said Jason Callahan, MEBA Atlantic Coast vice president in a statement released by the SSA. “This agreement is testament to the strength and diligent work of our Boston representatives, attorney, and above all our union delegates. We believe this contract provides significant gains for our members and lays the groundwork for more stable and prosperous future for everyone

The MEBA and Licensed Deck Officer contracts each run from July 27, 2024, to July 23, 2027. The Unlicensed Vessel Employee contract runs from April 19, 2024, to April 16, 2027.