UPDATED: 90% of voters in favour of strike

Union Chief Obie Ferguson

As of Friday, January 31, 2014

5.30pm UPDATE: Union members won't receive their strike certificate until Monday, so there will be no industrial action till then.

12.20pm UPDATE: Union members are currently awaiting their strike certificate before they can take any industrial action.

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

SANDALS executives had until 9am today to meet the demands of their unionized employees or there would be an immediate strike, according to Union Chief Obie Ferguson.

Yesterday, almost 200 members of the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU), participated in a strike vote – with more than 90 per cent of them voting in favour of an immediate strike.

According to Mr Ferguson, of the 193 persons voting, 187 voted “yes” to strike, three voted “no” and there were three spoiled ballots. This is proof, he said, that the workers are “tired” with the management of Sandals.

Mr Ferguson said Sandals executives had until the Department of Labour office opens today, to meet the unions demands or they would strike immediately.

“Now that the vote is over, we are going to the Minister to get the certificate tomorrow and we will strike. If the company fails to do what we ask them to do before that time, the workers will be striking,” he said.

“They have until we get the certificate. They left us with no choice. We can’t enter the property, we can’t meet with our members, they made sure we couldn’t contact them. They have not engaged with us in six years. They fired 12 workers for joining the union and three maids when they were pregnant. These are our issues, they know what our issues are. We are surprised that they aren’t mindful to do what is right. For some reason they won’t work with us.”

Mr Ferguson said as soon as the union gets the certificate they will strike and there will be no cooling off period.

“That is not in the law,” he said, “if they want to add that to a contract we negotiate that is fine, but things are just heating up. We don’t need to cool down.”

In a press release on Tuesday, Sandals representatives said they were “surprised” to learn through the media, that the BHMAWU had decided on a strike vote exercise that would “impede the day-to-day operations”.

“Sandals Royal Bahamian is and has always been a responsible employer that abides by the laws of the Bahamas and we find this stance by the union extremely baffling given that not only are both parties continuing to meet on an ongoing basis on issues related to our team members, but also that a matter is still before the Court of Appeal. 

“We continue to treat with the BHMAWU on various issues in direct accordance with the laws of the Bahamas and any statements to the contrary are entirely unfounded,” the statement said. 

“It is also unfortunate that the BHMAWU would attempt to disrupt operations when the resort’s occupancy is beginning to rise, and sadly any such action will invariably impact the income of our team members. 

“We have invested enormous sums of money to raise the resort to even greater heights, including the total refurbishment of over 200 suites in the Windsor Building and the creation of the Walkout River Suites which are a month away from completion. This kind of investment has drastically changed the face of the resort and is the talk of the marketplace, which we believe will go on to benefit the team members as well as the destination of the Bahamas as a whole.” 

Thinker 10 years, 2 months ago

Unions suck the life out of any business. If you don't like your job, go get another. Don't tell me there aren't any jobs because I know plenty businesses that cannot find any decent employees willing to work up to expectation. If you don't like management, why work for them? I can guarantee now, your boss doesn't like you in the union so much either. Peace out to all the former KFC employees. I could name a couple other smaller businesses that have shut down because of union pressures as well, but for the love of the people who lost their businesses, I will let it RIP. Newsflash: only YOU can save your JOB - people almost always get themselves fired.

B_I_D___ 10 years, 2 months ago

Unions are just a protective barrier for otherwise useless employees. If you are doing your job to the best of your ability, you don't need a union to cover your asp. If you are a lazy so and so...the union is right up your alley!!

ThisIsOurs 10 years, 2 months ago

That's probably generally true...but there are exceptions. I personally know a very hard working young man in the service industry who works for what I think is a nightmare employer. He works 14hours a day, has the most beautiful attitude you could ask for in an employee, all of the customers love him and his service to them, but his employer treats him like crap. I would say some of the treatment is illegal..but he needs his job., he doesn't have much of a formal education so is somewhat stuck. In a case like that a union is useful...but we do have too many lazy, kleptomaniacs who hide behind the threat to strike and give legitimate complaints a bad rap

crabman 10 years, 2 months ago

what is the problem?? we do not need any hotels open at this time of the year, our business levels are the highest in the summer, besides who cares if the international press see's us closing down properties and inconveniencing tourist, there are more where they come from, everybody will come to the Bahamas and we will all prosper under the guidance of our union leaders (A PEEK INSIDE THE MIND OF MOST UNION LEADERS AND UNION FOLLOWERS WHO ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO SURVIVE WHILE THE WORKERS SUFFER)

Always follow the union..................to the poor house

TheMadHatter 10 years, 2 months ago

Hopefully Sandals will fire ALL of them and give them their proper severance pay SOON. I know plenty friends looking for work.

By the way, why were the 3 maids pregnant? Were they trying to ensure the hotel has future maids to work for them?

TheMadHatter

ThisIsOurs 10 years, 2 months ago

Maybe they wanted to start a family...like normal people. People at the lower end of the pay scale can be good parents too...I can imagine though that it would be very hard for them to carry out their duties while pregnant, I don't know how the hotel deals with that

B_I_D___ 10 years, 2 months ago

Never worry...when we are homeless and penniless and have no employers who want to hire us...the Lord shall provide...and if not, we can just rob and kill people who are against us.

sheeprunner12 10 years, 2 months ago

While we can be critical of the tactics of unions, we must bear in mind who the employer is in question.

Could it be possible that the employer is trying to treat Bahamian employees in the same fashion that they are treating their other Caribbean employees??????????

Remember that a Jamaican owns Sandals........... Jamaican dollar is 100 to USD1.00

Just sayin..............................

TheMadHatter 10 years, 2 months ago

Yep, if the unions keep it up - our dollar will be just like that soon.

*TheMadHatter

Honestman 10 years, 2 months ago

Golden Rule: If you are going to pick a fight, make sure the odds are in your favour. Sandals employees might very well have a valid grievance, I don't know. However, they have to understand that they are not in a strong position. There are thousands of Bahamians that would jump at the chance of a job at Sandals. A strike might very well cost them their jobs and so they should think long and hard about their next step.

sheeprunner12 10 years, 2 months ago

Yep, and Sandals cant fire Obie Ferguson. LOL

I hope Sandals employees know that before they let Obie take them down that road.

Rock.........worker.............Hard Place(Sandals)

This is the sad state of affairs for Bahamian low-skilled hotel workers today

Then coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!....................................... BAHAMAR????????????

The Tribune