The guys in my union do not do minimum wage work. Most of them hold multiple trade tickets, some with power engineer tickets as well as trade tickets, and work their butt off everyday in conditions that most people would not want to work in. Yes, we get paid well for what we do. Seniority does not get you promotions here. It is part of the promotion process, but promotions are not based solely on seniority. So your facts are skewed. To say we are all the same is insulting. I can admit some unions are like that, but not all. Sorry for the rant, it gets tiring hearing that I don't work hard and am overpaid.
The only time I ever head to the island anymore, is when my wife has to do some work over there. Her territory is all of the island. So I'll head over with her on a Thursday, fish with my buddy in Campbell River for a couple days, then come home. All on her company's expense. I won't travel there anymore on my own $$. Too expensive. I towed my boat over to Galiano in May, and that's the last time I will do that. It was just about $400 round trip. I'll fish locally if I want to fish salmon. I'll spend my money going up to the interior from now on. The ferries are too expensive. It's time for a bridge to be built connecting the gulf islands and Vancouver Island to the mainland. The toll would certaily be less than the cost of a ferry ride.