OSWALD BROWN WRITES
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The government must take immediate and decisive steps to “nib in the bud” the likelihood that the threat of industrial action against the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island made by Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) President Darrin Woods may become a reality.
In an article in the Nassau Guardian on Monday, November 20, 2018, Woods said a “vote to commence industrial action was taken on September 27 and a trade dispute was filed with the Department of Labour on October 25.” He noted that the decision to take industrial action was the result of the implementation of a 12-point-system and a shift change for housekeepers without input from the union.
“Since we had a special call general meeting, the members unanimously voted to take industrial action against the Atlantis resort so we’re here now to put our membership at large, those covered by the [Bahamas Hotels Employers Association], on what we call ‘alert’,” Woods was quoted as saying. “They’re now on work-to-rule as of today.”
He explained that the work-to-rule meant the 5,000 affected employees would only “do what [they’re] hired to do” and a “go slow and an outright strike” would follow if a resolution is not found.
What bothers me mostly about the intimidating tactics Mr. Woods employed in attempting to “force” Atlantis to address the concerns he raised was his sheer brazenness in assuming that the BHCAWU has to be consulted every time hotel managers make decisions that they believe would enhance the smooth operation of their establishments. Such an assumption is not only utter nonsense, it’s downright stupid.
Obviously, Mr. Woods decided to flex his muscle at this early stage of his administration to indicate to dues-paying members that they did not make a mistake in May of this year when they elected him to succeed Nicole Martin as President of the BHCAWU, the richest and most powerful union in The Bahamas.
Another reason could very well be that he wanted to prove to the union members that he deserves the huge salary he is making as President of the BHCAWU. Some Past Presidents of the BHCAWU were known to have received in excess of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) in salary and benefits, as was the case with the late Pat Bain, who was President of the BHCAWU for six years before he died of cancer in November of 2006.
The BHCAWU became the richest union in The Bahamas because of a law passed by Parliament making it mandatory for hotels to deduct union dues from the salaries of union members in their employ if the BHCAWU made representations proving that more than 50 percent of workers at the hotels were union members.
When this draconian law was enacted, then BHCAWU President David Knowles and Secretary General Bobby Glinton both were House of Assembly members of governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), and the new law was considered to be a progressive step in the right direction to address the subterfuge that existed in most of the major hotels in dealing with Bahamian staff members.
After this law was enacted, the BHCAWU amassed tremendous financial reserves under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Bastian, who was President of the BHCAWU for 18 years, before he was defeated by Pat Bain in the presidential race in the 2000 elections.
There is no question that Bain was one of the most effective Presidents in the history of the BHCAWU, but his legacy was besmirched by a flippant remark he made to a union member in Freeport in the aftermath of two devastating hurricanes – Francis and Jeanne – that slammed into Grand Bahama in 2004, resulting in approximately 1,300 employees of the severely damaged Royal Oasis Resort and Casino becoming unemployed. When an unemployed worker approached Bain for assistance from the union, he reportedly told him that while he was working, he should have saved some of his money for situations such as he was facing.
In the aftermath of Bain’s death, the Presidency of BHCAWU became one of the most sought-after positions by persons with experience in the hotel industry, primarily because of the enormous salary the president receives. I don’t know what salary former President Nicole Martin received during the nine years she was President before she was ousted in May of this year by current President Darrin Woods, but when the union was still financially sound during her early years as President, she reportedly was making well in excess of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) a year.
Clearly, if he is not now salaried at the same level, given the fact that the union’s membership has declined considerably in recent years, it seems as if Mr. Woods has his sights set of enjoying the benefits of a six-figure income in the not-too-distant future.
One of his first declarations shortly after he became President was his intention to seek recognition from the billion-dollar sprawling Baha Mar resort complex. In an interview with EYEWITNESS NEWS, Woods said increasing membership was a top priority and “the property we are going to be eyeing will be the new kids on the block (Baha Mar).”
“We are going to be branching out again to really bring more members in because that is an intricate part of what we do here,” he was quoted as saying. “The only way that we get our resources is from dues. So, we want to be able to offer members good benefits, so they will be attracted to the organization.”
Thanks to the excellent job the Ministry of Tourism is doing in promoting The Bahamas as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, 2018 has been an exceptionally good year for tourism – the “lifeblood” of the country’s economy – and it is not only dangerous, but grossly irresponsible for greedy union leaders to be putting their self-interest above the welfare of the country.
What Mr. Woods has got to keep in mind is that tourism – especially to Caribbean destinations like The Bahamas that all use beautiful beaches, sun, sand and clear blue waters as their promotional magnet to lure visitors to their shores – is a highly competitive industry, and if their stay in a luxury hotel in The Bahamas is made less enjoyable by groups of disgruntled employees complying with a union-directed “work-to-rule” order, the next time they want to visit a Caribbean island they will choose to go to Saint Lucia or Antigua and Barbuda.
Throughout my journalistic career, I have always been a strong supporter of trade unions; however, I abhor and detest using the threat of strike action as an intimidating weapon to resolve an issue. Moreover, in this particular instance, there is no issue. Why should management of Atlantis consult the BHCAWU on policy changes related to the implementation of a 12-point-system and a shift change for housekeepers, innocuous personnel matters they consider are necessary?
Surely, there has to be another way for Woods to convince his union members that he fully deserves the high salary he is making.
