The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE government and the Bahamas Union of Teachers signed an industrial agreement yesterday that includes salary and increment increases as well as expanded health insurance coverage.

However, the union’s president said while her members are pleased the deal has been inked, the retention bonus is “insufficient”.

Belinda Wilson spoke after the union and the government signed the agreement — which had been outstanding for three years — at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.

The last agreement expired on June 30, 2018.

“And I must say that we agreed to a three-year agreement from 2022 to 2025 and we did that really unwillingly, but to move things forward,” the BUT president said.

Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin was pleased that the agreement had been signed.

 “Teachers are critical stakeholders in our national development, never more so than now, particularly after the pandemic, which has really wrought a terrible cost on education on so many levels, with our young people, and also with teachers who have had to go into a virtual reality at a moment’s notice and with the isolation that came with virtual education,” she said.

 “So I am very pleased that we are able as a government in a tangible way to demonstrate the respect, the regard, and the placement of teachers and our national development. And I trust that this marks the beginning of cordial and productive relations between the Bahamas Union of Teachers and the Ministry of Education as we move forward with our singular interests, which is advancing the cause of education in this country and causing for our young people to find a place of restoration after such a very challenging and difficult time that they have gone through,” Ms Hanna Martin said.

 Mrs Wilson spoke about the negotiation process.

 “The Bahamas Union of Teachers - we presented to the government a 20 percent salary increase over a three-year period. During our negotiations, we then reduced that to 19.40 percent over the three-year period. We agreed with the government on a 15 percent salary increase over a three-year period, which will be paid in the first year. There will be two increments, an increase of two increments, which is $116.66 plus your normal increment of 5,833.

 “In the second year, it’s an increase of one increment, which is $700 plus your normal increment. And in the third year, again, it’s two increments plus the normal increment. Yes, we are here today because we agreed. We had meetings with our thousands of members, we had eight meetings actually over the period of time to ensure that the members were pleased and agreed for us to accept the 15 percent that we have accepted.”

 She continued: “In addition to the salary increases we negotiated in 2012, and I’m proud to have been the person that negotiated medical insurance for our members, so we’ve now had that medical insurance extended to include dental and vision services. We have gotten increases in housing allowance and responsibility allowances and as the lead negotiator from the other side said there was a focus on those southern islands.

“So we (are) talking about the Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Inagua. Those islands that do not have the banks readily available. They do not have the flights that leave daily. They do not have the level of medical care or hospitals or clinics up to par. So we try to ensure that they would get an additional allowance to assist them with their day to day work.”

 Ms Hanna Martin had previously said that officials are in the process of hiring teachers as they seek to address shortages in critical areas in core subjects.

 Asked if she thinks the agreement will help encourage retention of teachers, Mrs Wilson replied: “In order for teachers to be retained, I would say a retention bonus of $3,000 in one instance, $2,250 in another instance, and $1,500 in the next instance is insufficient - but we agreed. What will retain teachers is when persons at the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education, monitor, police and adhere to the agreement that we are signing, when teachers feel as if they are respected and that they are cared for that is more important than a few dollars,” she said.

 “So we would hope that this agreement would not only increase salaries and benefits. But it will also say to officials at the Ministry and the Department of Education that you are to adhere to this agreement just as the Bahamas Union of Teachers will do our best to adhere to the agreement and the breaches must cease immediately.”

 On the sideline of the event, Mrs Wilson was asked if she was satisfied with the agreement signed.

She answered: “We’re pleased with the agreement. And I think what gives us even more pleasure is that it’s a three year agreement. So in short order, we’ll be back at the table.”

 This signing comes after the Bahamas Educators Managerial Union (BEMU) and Bahamas Educators, Counsellors and Allied Workers Union (BECAWU) both signed industrial agreements.

 State Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle made it clear that no grouping of teachers has been disenfranchised in this exercise.