Super Value employees yesterday voted overwhelming against joining a union, amid claims by officials of The Bahamas Commercial Stores Supermarkets and Warehouse Workers Union that they had been intimidated into doing so.
Results from the poll last night revealed that 82 percent of the more than 300 workers who voted, voted no to the union.
It came after years of a dispute between the union and Super Value President Rupert Roberts, which intensified in recent months.
Moments after the results were released, Mr. Roberts told the Bahama Journal that he was proud of his employeesﾴ decision to vote in their own interest.
But Mr. Douglas and officials of the National Congress of Trade Unions said they were disgusted by the results, claiming that Mr. Roberts had bused in his workers and was the last face they saw before voting.
ﾓItﾴs the worst vote Iﾴve everseen,ﾒ said Mr. Douglas, who said he left the Industrial Tribunal on Thompson Boulevard where the poll was taking place and headed straight to his attorney to discuss the legalities of his planned protest.
Other union officials said they were also extremely disappointed that the Super Value workers rejected the union and were convinced that they only did so because they feared they would lose their jobs if they hadnﾴt.
But itﾴs a claim Mr. Roberts vehemently denied.
He said that this year, the Super Value family will celebrate its 40th anniversary, which means that for 40 years his staff members have managed their own affairs without a union.
ﾓMy staff have demonstrated today what they want and I will allow no one to dictate that to them,ﾒ he said. ﾓWe built this business together without the help of a union and will continue to serve the public in the future without the union.
ﾓI have noticed the public has taken a special interest in these proceedings, and I hope they take note of the fact that I will be guided only by the dictates of my staff.ﾒ
Mr. Roberts said that he hopes that this victory will send a message to the union to stop ﾓharassingﾒ his employees.
Mr. Douglas complained during the vote that there were irregularities taking place.
ﾓManagement continues to manipulate the poll by intimidating the workers,ﾒ he claimed. ﾓThey brought in office workers and maintenance managers when they know that they cannot work.ﾒ
He had said then that the union would ﾓwin overwhelminglyﾒ, but acknowledged defeat several hours later.
During the vote, Mr. Douglas added, ﾓThere was a list approved by the government for 357 registered workers. A new list was passed to us when we arrived here this morning. That list was not agreed upon by the labour union.ﾒ
Mr. Douglas also had the support of other union representatives like Robert Farquharson, general secretary of the National Congress of Trade Unions, who called the elections ﾓa sad oneﾒ.
Mr. Farquharson added that it was disheartening to see that the president of the company was out to watch the vote and was the last face employees saw before voting.
Mr. Douglas, for his part, insisted that Mr. Roberts should not have showed up because the vote was one ﾓbetween the Minister, the workers and the union.ﾒ
But Super Value employees like Patrick Farquharson said that no one was intimidating them.
Mr. Farquharson said that he has enough intelligence to vote for what benefits him the most and said he was not aware of the benefits of having a union.
Pansita Ferguson, a six-year employee of Super Value in Winton, said the union was intimating the employees. She said union officials were aggressive, trying to force the vote of employees by using lies.
Ms. Ferguson said that the Super Value family afforded her the opportunity to work her way up the ranks without showing prejudice.
Perez Clarke, The Bahama Journal
