This morning, BTL employees showed up to work as usual and found that they were locked out just as they had been on Friday night when police took over the compound. Today, the workers demanded that the occupation end before they go into work. Who won that battle? Well, no one really. Here's the story.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Police continued to guard the compound this morning as BTL workers, managers included stood outside, not quite sure what they do - basically watching the police watch them. That lasted for about an hour. The standoff ended when the managers were called to go inside separately. When that was proposed, the staff led by union activist Dwight Gentle blocked the gate.
That brought CEO Gaspar Aguilar and PUC Chair Dr. Gilbert Canton to the gate. The back and forth continued with the CEO getting involved. And while Canton and retired technician Harry Noble waited, the back and forth continued at the gate for almost an hour with the final demand being that the police had to pull back.
Dwight Gentle, BTL Employee
"They have to reduce their forces whe deh have as well because whe happen is we done got security on the compound. So that dah DI consensus right? We wah deh go first."
That brought out Aguilar trying to again work out a compromise, which would leave the police inside.
Bernard Pitts, BTL Employee
"Honestly Mr. G ih wah be uncomfortable fi deh staff up there and those deh right there over."
Dwight Gentle,
"We want them removed from the building."
Gaspar Aguilar, BTL's CEO
"Dwight you need to work with me Dwight."
Dwight Gentle,
"I am trying to work with you Mr. G for a compromise right now."
Bernard Pitts,
"If they want to be here then have them be outside. They know absolutely nothing about BTL apart from using a phone and paying their bills. What can they do to stop us from doing anything?"
Gaspar Aguilar,
"I beg you, you have to make it appear that I am still in control. If not then brutal force will come down."
That plea went nowhere and neither did a one on one with the PUC's boss. Instead the workers broke out into a spirited rendition of the national anthem.
By this time workers had blocked the road and the whole dynamic of the negotiation changed when Manager Mark Usher arrived.
Mark Usher,
"Control go back to fi we security people deh and the other officers they maintain a presence outside of the buildings, on the compound, so we can go in, relax wi self, and see whe we could do. Hold up I noh di agree to nothing. I di tell unu whe deh tell me. Mek a give unu di feedback if some ah unu neva deh yeh yesterday when we come out of the meeting, the 37% which dah the primary objective, which dah wi job security and we future ah we life, that get thrown out ah di door."
The conversation continued until it became clear that there was no agreement forcing a showdown and a departure.
Mark Usher,
"Mek wi try get away from this location and we form tight group, we going so right now 5 minutes and come back. Mr. G. the only whe could happen to me is unu kill me. Yo dun fire me already."
Gaspar Aguilar,
"Who said so?"
Mark Usher,
"The only thing you could do to me next dah kill me."
Gaspar Aguilar,
"Who fired you? You watch me in my face and tell me I fired you. Look at me and tell me I fired you."
Mark Usher,
"All BTL people and look 'round yah we noh wah no media."
Gaspar Aguilar,
"I want to put a question to you right now. Who dah the CEO? Mark or me?"
Mark Usher,
"You dah di CEO."
Gaspar Aguilar,
"Well I di ask you to listen to me 'cause the minute I talk nobody listens and when Mark talks everybody listens."
Mark Usher,
"Because I di tell them deh no get 37% and you di tell them they get a promise, nobody no wah hear that. We tired ah promise. We tired a promise Mr. G. If you di tell these people they going in on a promise, yes I know I am going on like an idiot and the officers can tell me anytime, but you need to understand that we done lose and we di try get back. We done lose."
But the workers remained divided and half held their meeting while half remained milling around the entrance. After another 45 minutes, at 11:00 am the decision was finally made to just open the gates and let everyone in.
Dwight Gentle,
"Mek we come een."
Bernard Pitts,
"They asked that we bring up back the system as normal."
That decision to go into the workplace was short lived though. The police never fully withdrew form the compound. When Union President Paul Perriot showed up after having to deal with a personal emergency he called the workers outside again, and insisted that they would not go inside until the police were removed because of the persistent fear for their privacy and well being.
Paul Perriot, BCWU President
"They have to investigate what di happen inside the building, basically find out maybe if the police put any bugs or anything like that in place. I believe strongly that that di way how this government di operate so far, they di try find key people to try pinpoint whatever and things like that. So what we are trying to do is telling all the staff going into their workplaces find out if there's anything inside, bugs or anything like that, before they actually..."
Angel Novelo, REPORTER Newspaper
"But you want the police out at the same time?"
Paul Perriot,
"We want the police out so initially that is what we are going to ask. Even if they stand down, so far it seems that some of the staff kinda comfortable with them being in secluded area but right now we di ask they tek out all a them before we even go inna dah real work environment back again. We agreed that the employees need to get back into work. We don't want them to force any kind of lockout on us but we agreed that we want all the police forces and everybody agreed unanimously, the staff, that we need to get the police force out before we actually go back in to the work place."
This evening when we visited BTL workers remained on the compound, but out of the office.