bahamiangoddess
06-19-08, - 09:55 AM
Angry union members will protest today
By IANTHIA SMITH, Guardian Staff Reporter, ianthia@nasguard.com
Another one of the country's unions is fighting an intense war against their president.
This time, members of the Bahamas Commercial Stores Supermarkets and Warehouse Workers' Union (BCSSWWU) are the ones fighting for justice and calling for their president to be overthrown. Union member Rosalie Darling-McKenzie said the fed up BCSSWWU members will now hold a protest today at 12:00 noon at the union's head office on Horseshoe Drive to take their plight nationwide, claiming that BCSSWWU President Elgin Douglas has been unconstitutionally running the organization since its inception back in 1988. She alleged that for too long, Douglas has operated the union as his own personal business. Now, she claims the union members are sick and tired of Douglas' tactics.
"In all of the union's history, there has never been an election," Darling-McKenzie said. "There's never been a general meeting, there's never been an annual general meeting, the membership does not know anything about the union."
Darling-McKenzie further alleged that she and two other BCSSWWU members were unfairly fired from their posts recently. She claims that Douglas was threatened by their decision to seek nomination for presidential elections.
But Douglas said the union members had better watch what they say, as they are just days away from being sued for defamation of character. Douglas claims that during his 20-year run as BCSSWWU president, he has never once wronged the union, adding that for two decades, the BCSSWWU has been his life.
"I am not doing anything wrong," Douglas charged. "I never forged one signature, stole one dollar or lied once on anybody. I have been president since 1987 and the union had no money. I went for three years without getting one dime from this union. The only time I started getting money from this union was in 2004.
"I can assure you, nothing is going wrong with this union, there is just a bunch of greed and now that the members see the union making progress they want to dismantle it."
Douglas said the union now has over $30,000 on a fixed deposit alone, separate from monies saved up in the union's checking and savings account.
Darling-McKenzie said the union represents 3,000 members working at nine companies in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
She added that BCSSWWU members hope to put an end to the problems that they claim plague the union, when they protest in front of the union's head office and "show that Mr. Douglas has been running this union unconstitutionally for the past 20 years."
Douglas recently filed for an injunction to prevent the Registrar of Trade Unions from holding nominations for members to challenge the presidency this month, citing it was too soon before the three-year period was up. Earlier this week, a Supreme Court judge granted that injunction. Now, Douglas said nominations will be held on August 20 and elections sometime in September. He added that he's never been afraid of a challenge and looks forward to the upcoming elections.
By IANTHIA SMITH, Guardian Staff Reporter, ianthia@nasguard.com
Another one of the country's unions is fighting an intense war against their president.
This time, members of the Bahamas Commercial Stores Supermarkets and Warehouse Workers' Union (BCSSWWU) are the ones fighting for justice and calling for their president to be overthrown. Union member Rosalie Darling-McKenzie said the fed up BCSSWWU members will now hold a protest today at 12:00 noon at the union's head office on Horseshoe Drive to take their plight nationwide, claiming that BCSSWWU President Elgin Douglas has been unconstitutionally running the organization since its inception back in 1988. She alleged that for too long, Douglas has operated the union as his own personal business. Now, she claims the union members are sick and tired of Douglas' tactics.
"In all of the union's history, there has never been an election," Darling-McKenzie said. "There's never been a general meeting, there's never been an annual general meeting, the membership does not know anything about the union."
Darling-McKenzie further alleged that she and two other BCSSWWU members were unfairly fired from their posts recently. She claims that Douglas was threatened by their decision to seek nomination for presidential elections.
But Douglas said the union members had better watch what they say, as they are just days away from being sued for defamation of character. Douglas claims that during his 20-year run as BCSSWWU president, he has never once wronged the union, adding that for two decades, the BCSSWWU has been his life.
"I am not doing anything wrong," Douglas charged. "I never forged one signature, stole one dollar or lied once on anybody. I have been president since 1987 and the union had no money. I went for three years without getting one dime from this union. The only time I started getting money from this union was in 2004.
"I can assure you, nothing is going wrong with this union, there is just a bunch of greed and now that the members see the union making progress they want to dismantle it."
Douglas said the union now has over $30,000 on a fixed deposit alone, separate from monies saved up in the union's checking and savings account.
Darling-McKenzie said the union represents 3,000 members working at nine companies in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
She added that BCSSWWU members hope to put an end to the problems that they claim plague the union, when they protest in front of the union's head office and "show that Mr. Douglas has been running this union unconstitutionally for the past 20 years."
Douglas recently filed for an injunction to prevent the Registrar of Trade Unions from holding nominations for members to challenge the presidency this month, citing it was too soon before the three-year period was up. Earlier this week, a Supreme Court judge granted that injunction. Now, Douglas said nominations will be held on August 20 and elections sometime in September. He added that he's never been afraid of a challenge and looks forward to the upcoming elections.