bahamiangoddess
04-21-08, - 01:08 PM
April 21st, 2008
Hotel Union Trustees Sue
By TOSHEENA ROBINSON-BLAIR
Two trustees of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union are asking the courts to declare that they and not the union’s president and key members of his executive team should control the 6,500-strong bargaining agency’s real and personal property – inclusive of its funds and financial records.
In the originating summons obtained by the Bahama Journal, New Providence trustee Kayla Bodie and Ian Neely of Grand Bahama have petitioned the courts to wrest control of the union away from president Roy Colebrooke, treasurer Basil McKenzie and secretary general Leo Douglas alleging that they are "likely" to misappropriate union funds.
Up to last week, the executives remained in office.
Along with the three men, the Bank of the Bahamas Limited and Sandra Ferguson are named as defendants in the matter.
The court document filed April 16 lists the two trustees and the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union as plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs are asking that they be "vested with and responsible for all real and personal property whatsoever belonging to the BHCAWU, inclusive of but not limited to all of the money of the BHCAWU deposited in each and every financial institution" in addition to "each and every building or real property" in the Bahamas or elsewhere.
The plaintiffs also want the Supreme Court to order any financial institution with which the union does business, including the fourth defendant – the Bank of the Bahamas – to hand over all the union’s financial records and bank account information.
Ms. Bodie and Mr. Neely are asking that they be required to sign off on all cheques for and on the union’s behalf, along with the treasurer and secretary general, or their respective assistants.
In the originating summons, the trustees are asking the court to declare that Mr. Colebrooke, from September 27, 2007, was no longer entitled to endorse union cheques and that such cheques be declared void.
They also want a declaration that all disbursements of BHCAWU’s funds, inclusive of salaries and other benefits for staff and executive council members, be approved first by the said council, by a resolution, before any money is disbursed.
The two trustees are also seeking approval – with or without the backing of the union’s executive council – to bring action against Mr. Colebrooke, Mr. McKenzie and/or Mr. Douglas to prevent them from signing any further union cheques, or divesting of the union’s assets because they are of the view that the men "have or are reasonably likely to misappropriate BHCAWU funds."
Additionally, the trustees want the court to appoint HLB Galanis Bain as the union’s receiver for a four-month period to oversee the bargaining agency’s financial management, put in place a procedural regime and make further recommendations to ensure that the union’s assets are "preserved and protected."
Lionel Morley, the union’s area vice president for Grand Bahama, has previously accused executive members of the BHCAWU of misappropriation and mismanagement of union funds.
Meantime, Mr. Morley is being accused of abuse of powers.
Union sources have been reporting trouble within the union’s executive for some months, speaking of internal wrangling, and – in some cases – unauthorized dealings with other entities by certain union executives.
Hotel Union Trustees Sue
By TOSHEENA ROBINSON-BLAIR
Two trustees of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union are asking the courts to declare that they and not the union’s president and key members of his executive team should control the 6,500-strong bargaining agency’s real and personal property – inclusive of its funds and financial records.
In the originating summons obtained by the Bahama Journal, New Providence trustee Kayla Bodie and Ian Neely of Grand Bahama have petitioned the courts to wrest control of the union away from president Roy Colebrooke, treasurer Basil McKenzie and secretary general Leo Douglas alleging that they are "likely" to misappropriate union funds.
Up to last week, the executives remained in office.
Along with the three men, the Bank of the Bahamas Limited and Sandra Ferguson are named as defendants in the matter.
The court document filed April 16 lists the two trustees and the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union as plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs are asking that they be "vested with and responsible for all real and personal property whatsoever belonging to the BHCAWU, inclusive of but not limited to all of the money of the BHCAWU deposited in each and every financial institution" in addition to "each and every building or real property" in the Bahamas or elsewhere.
The plaintiffs also want the Supreme Court to order any financial institution with which the union does business, including the fourth defendant – the Bank of the Bahamas – to hand over all the union’s financial records and bank account information.
Ms. Bodie and Mr. Neely are asking that they be required to sign off on all cheques for and on the union’s behalf, along with the treasurer and secretary general, or their respective assistants.
In the originating summons, the trustees are asking the court to declare that Mr. Colebrooke, from September 27, 2007, was no longer entitled to endorse union cheques and that such cheques be declared void.
They also want a declaration that all disbursements of BHCAWU’s funds, inclusive of salaries and other benefits for staff and executive council members, be approved first by the said council, by a resolution, before any money is disbursed.
The two trustees are also seeking approval – with or without the backing of the union’s executive council – to bring action against Mr. Colebrooke, Mr. McKenzie and/or Mr. Douglas to prevent them from signing any further union cheques, or divesting of the union’s assets because they are of the view that the men "have or are reasonably likely to misappropriate BHCAWU funds."
Additionally, the trustees want the court to appoint HLB Galanis Bain as the union’s receiver for a four-month period to oversee the bargaining agency’s financial management, put in place a procedural regime and make further recommendations to ensure that the union’s assets are "preserved and protected."
Lionel Morley, the union’s area vice president for Grand Bahama, has previously accused executive members of the BHCAWU of misappropriation and mismanagement of union funds.
Meantime, Mr. Morley is being accused of abuse of powers.
Union sources have been reporting trouble within the union’s executive for some months, speaking of internal wrangling, and – in some cases – unauthorized dealings with other entities by certain union executives.