The Alaska Marine Highway System has cut 20 shore positions as officials deal with a scaled back budget.
The Ketchikan Daily News reports that in the past week, 14 people have been laid off in the ferry system, and other vacant positions were also cut.
Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says customer service and ferry docking positons were cut at Petersburg, Cordova, Skagway, Haines, Valdez, Whittier, Kodiak and Bellingham terminals. One position was cut from the system’s headquarters.
Woodrow says there are no more layoffs planned for fiscal year 2016, but more could come next year. Close to 60 positions were cut this year from DOT. The agency’s budget was reduced by 12.5 percent from last year.
