And from Port Coral to the Port of Belize, but this isn't about Waterloo's proposed cruise port. Instead, this is about PBL, its staff, and a long awaited Collective Bargaining Agreement.
For almost two decades, there have been on-again-off-again negotiations, but history was made yesterday after both the Christian Workers Union and PBL signed off on a new CBA.
The discussions started August 2020, after the stevedores had signed their own CBA, and while this is a momentous occasion, the president, Evan Mose Hyde, said it's bittersweet. That's because a lot of the members who worked on the finer details of the CBA were fired last July, the day of the tear gas and rubber bullets at the port. On top of that, the CBA comes at one of the worst economic times in history. Hyde explained more:
Mose Hyde - President, CWU
"I believe what I feel is a sense of relief for the members at BPL, the staff. I believe it has taken obviously way too long for them to get a current CBA, I think we're looking at about 17-18 years. So, absolutely feel relieved on behalf of the members there and they accepted the terms of the agreement by way of vote and so respect to them and I hope they are now in a position to be the guardians of that document that they become fully abreast of what it is and that they are able to be vigilant with the rights that are enshrined in that agreement. Obviously I have to express gratitude to the labor department and the ministry of labor for playing a very instrumental role in it, obviously they said it takes 2 to tango, so besides the involvement in the ministry of labor both sides, the employer and the union and the reps of the employees had to be able, with respect sit down and engage despite significant degree of contention and also a very turbulent history as far as aspects of agreement that the staff obviously appreciate and respect is that in this very challenging time, there's commitment coming from the employer for increases in 2022 and 2023 and while it's just a little above inflation, it's better than where everything has been going during this pandemic. There is a lot that our members would have wanted, it is kind of like bitter sweet because you wait so long to get your CBA and then you end up having achieve one in the middle of the most unfavorable time to do CBAs."
But that's not the only issue on the table for the CWU. The stevedores' 21 day notice is still in effect after a sugar barge went south to Big Creek. They believe they should get compensated for that. Hyde gave us an update on that matter:
Mose Hyde
"Of course the labor department reached out, the labor commissioner and has indicated that because the tribunal has essentially been unplugged that they will now participate in negotiating and so we are thinking that this is a process that would start early next week, that is speaking to the labor commissioner what he has indicated us, that has not been confirmed as yet and that is big, that's a huge process for those who don't know what you're speaking of. The matter of what we believe to the rightful compensation for the loss of sugar earnings on behalf of stevedores, so that is a lot of work to be done."
