The M/V Tustumena docked in Homer on Tuesday to rest the crew for several days. The Alaska Department of Transportation reports that a critical crew shortage required the vessel to stay in port for safety reasons. Sailings between Homer and Kodiak have been cancelled until Saturday, July 30, 2022.
The ship has been operating with a small group of sailors in southwest Alaska since July 16 and, due to insufficient numbers of replacement staff, the ship has not been able to backfill essential positions that are vacant due to illness or other qualifying needs. Staffing shortages have been a concern nationally and throughout the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS).
According to ABC News, a survey over this past weekend showed that companies are getting increasingly nervous about high inflation and rising costs of impacting profits. An analyst for the National Association for Business Economics Business Conditions reported that labor and staffing issues also remain a high concern for businesses. The percentage of firms that said they were having trouble getting skilled labor has remained about 50% for the last three survey quarters.
Since early 2022, the Alaska Department of Transportation has held an aggressive hiring campaign to recruit workers. They are employing head hunters, participating in job fairs across Alaska and Washington, and offering $5,000 signing bonuses to attract new crew members.
DOT&PF will update the ship’s return to service schedule in the coming days.
Those interested in working for the Alaska Marine Highway System are encouraged to check the AMHS hiring page here.