The Government of the Virgin Islands has filed unfair labor practices charges against several labor unions as a result of job actions earlier this week.
Teachers, firefighters and police all staged walkouts and slow-downs this week to protest pay increases and promotions given to some government employees while others have waited years for their negotiated increases and retroactive pay.
A release from Government House late Friday afternoon named these unions and their leaders as respondents:
– St. Thomas-St. John Federation of Teachers, and President Glen Smith.
– The United Industrial Workers, Seafarers International Union and Amos Peters, vice-president.
– The St. Thomas-St John Police Benevolent association and Elroy Raymo, president
– International Association of Firefighters, Local 2125, and its president, Daryl George.
According to chief negotiator Karen Andrews of the Office of Collective Bargaining, the government contends that on either Sept. 14 or 15 the unions and their members "absented themselves from their respective places of employment in violation of both the parties' collective bargaining agreements."
Smith told St. Thomas Source, "I would prefer the governor would use his legal counsel, his energy and our limited resources to secure a meeting with the leaders of our union as well as the other unions to find answers to the problems of workers in the territory."
Teachers rallied at Emancipation Gardens Thursday morning and marched to the Legislature as the Government was preparing to present its Reorganization Plan.
The demonstration caused chief-of-staff Juel Molloy to delay her arrival at the Legislature until afternoon at the suggestion of Attorney General Iver Stridiron, who said he'd been "jostled" on the way in.
Teachers walked out of three schools on St. Croix this week and firefighters and police staged a sick-out.
Union leaders from the police and firefighters appeared before the Finance Committee Thursday to plead their cases against budget cuts being faced by these critical departments.
The government charges request the Public Employees Relations Board to enter an order that the respondents committed an unfair labor practice and seek fines in the amount $10,000, according to the Government House release.
"I would have expected this from the Schneider-Mapp administration, not from Turnbull. The Democrats put him into office –- the workers. His political base is comprised of government workers who voted for him overwhelmingly." Smith said. "How quickly we forget."
Labor leaders are scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Saturday.
Smith said he hoped it was to discuss the charges.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Territorial Court.
