A Bahamian woman has taken over the management of the Sun Spree hotel on Paradise Island after two of the property’s top managers were transferred outside The Bahamas.
Jackie Carroll, former resident manager of the Royal Oasis in Freeport for the past four years, will now serve in the capacity as acting general manager of Sun Spree, one of two remaining properties owned by the Driftwood Group of Companies.
The hotel’s general manager, Stephen Kappeler and Operations Officer, Frank Trotta, were reportedly both transferred to Florida to affiliate operations of Driftwood’s parent company.
The change in management came as good news to executives of the Bahamas Hotel Catering & Allied Workers Union (BHC&AWU), who for months have lodged complaints and even staged a demonstration, accusing the hotel management of treating its Bahamian staff poorly.
Management was also accused of violating the industrial agreement with the union.
“The move by management is fully supported by the hotel union and was long overdue,” union president, Pat Bain, said in a press statement.
“We certainly welcome Ms. Carroll to the new position and are grateful that Sun Spree saw fit to name a qualified Bahamian manager to the post. We believe this is a step in the right direction. The union looks forward to working with her.”
Two weeks ago, the hotel union staged an early morning demonstration at the Sun Spree Paradise Island property.
“We have done everything in our power to have the outstanding issues addressed and rectified, but management was reluctant,” the hotel union president said.
“We believe that this is a good lesson in people power that as a unified force, we can make a difference.”
The hotel’s change in management came several days after the Free National Movement demanded the government move swiftly to acquire Driftwood’s two remaining properties – the Sun Spree hotel and the Holiday Inn resort in New Providence.
The FNM’s advice came on the heels of 135 workers being fired from the Royal Oasis Resort in Grand Bahama.
The workers had been kept on for more than a year to maintain the property, which was shut down following Hurricane Frances in September 2004.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
