The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union on Monday announced that it has been recognized by Sandals Royal Bahamian as the bargaining agent for Sandals’ workers, which came as a surprise to some since another union had already announced it was seeking ministerial recognition to bargain for Sandals’ workers.
And in fact, the Journal has learned that the other union fully intends to press its claim.
The BHCAWU announcement was seconded by a press release from Sandals, confirming that the all-inclusive resort had “granted recognition to the BHCAWU to be the bargaining agent for all non-managerial employees at Sandals Royal Bahamian.”
“We are very pleased that Sandals has recognized the BHCAWU to represent its non-managerial employees,” union president Roy Colebrooke said.
“We have had an ongoing dialogue with Sandals ever since they began operations in The Bahamas and we look forward to working constructively with Sandals in the years ahead.”
However, the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union, a separate body in no way affiliated with the BHCAWU, announced weeks ago that the workers at Sandals had selected that body to represent their interests.
And in fact, Director of Labour Harcourt Brown confirmed that the Department of Labour was in the late stages of considering the BHMAWU request for ministerial recognition, and that no application had come to the government from the larger, older union to represent Sandals workers.
BHMAWU lawyer Obie Ferguson told the Journal last month that when that union was reportedly approached by Sandals workers to be the bargaining agent for Sandals non-managerial staff, there was no application from the larger hotel union to represent those workers.
“If Sandals gives them automatic recognition, Sandals can do that, thatﾒs their option,” Mr. Ferguson said on Monday. “If Sandals recognize them as the bargaining agent that does not prevent the minister making a determination.”
According to Mr. Ferguson, the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union already represents Sandals employees. The Journal confirmed that some of the engineering staff at the hotel are members of that union.
“(Which body will bargain for them is) a decision for workers,” Mr. Ferguson insisted. “If you give me recognition for a group of people who are desirous of being represented by somebody else, what is the significance of that? Voluntary recognition is not binding on the parties.”
Mr. Brown agreed, but noted that because the Industrial Relations Act encourages voluntary recognition, any body that secures voluntary recognition has an advantage.
The fact that Sandals has recognized the BHCAWU will have some effect on the Department of Labourﾒs determination on whether to recognize the BHMAWU as the bargaining agent for Sandals line staff, Mr. Brown confirmed. He added that his advisors are still looking at the legal implications.
“Once our attorneys have properly advised us, then we would proceed,” he told the Journal.
Noting that the legal advice is coming from the Attorney Generalﾒs office, Mr. Brown said labour officials would be concerned with the wishes of the workers.
Representatives of the BHCAWU were evasive as to when the their union applied to represent the workers at Sandals ﾖ in union president Roy Colebrookeﾒs words, “we applied for recognition some time now, on more than one occasion.”
BHCAWU Treasurer Basil McKenzie pointed out that the hotel union had “a deal with Butch Stewart and them when they first come ﾖ they said give them 18 months, and they gone way over that.”
“So we were always involved in that (property),” Mr. McKenzie said.
And Mr. Colebrooke was quite blunt in disclosing his intention for the BHCAWU to represent the workers at the other all-inclusives as well.
“Without a shadow of a doubt we believe that persons who work at the all-inclusives, that they should have been unionized also, simply because they are hotel workers and they have a right to organize themselves also,” he said, “like anybody else.”
According to the resortﾒs press release, Sandals decided to recognize the BHCAWU because it is a formally established union representing 80 percent of the hotel industry in The Bahamas.
“Furthermore,” the release read, “the BHCAWU is a trustee of the Bahamas Hotel & Allied Industries Pension Fund, which Sandals joined on behalf of its employees four years ago, and many of Sandalsﾒ line employees have been members of the National Cooperative Workers Credit Union since the All-Inclusive resort began operations over 10 years ago. Sandals also noted that the BHCAWU offers its members daycare services, employment aid, disaster relief and other unique benefits.”
Stephen Ziadie, General Manager of Sandals Royal Bahamian, was quoted in the Sandals release as saying “the BHCAWU has 52 years of experience representing hotel workers in The Bahamas, and understands our industry.”
“While we may have different views on some matters, we are confident that we can work though the issues. We are also confident that the BHCAWU recognizes the importance of a vital hotel industry to the people of The Bahamas. We look forward to working together with the BHCAWU for the benefit of all concerned.”
Sandals has commenced talks with the BHCAWU regarding the industrial agreement that will govern their relationship moving forward. The parties will use the existing agreement between the BHCAWU and the BHEA as a starting point and will thereafter negotiate a supplemental agreement that is sensitive to Sandalsﾒ operation as an All-Inclusive resort.
“As far as I am aware, the only union that represents hotel workers in this country is the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union,” Mr. Colebrooke said. “No one else.”
It seems that the existing agreement between the Bahamas Hotel Employers Association and the BHCAWU would be the foundation for an industrial agreement between the two sides.
Mr. Colebrooke gave a cryptic warning, saying, “The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union will be taking back all that is theirs.”
By: Quincy Parker, The Bahama Journal
