Civilian workers at the V.I. Police Department’s Patrick Sweeney Headquarters on St. Croix refused to work Friday because of the building’s condition.
According to Frederick Joseph, president of the United Steelworkers Union, the "deplorable conditions" prompted the action, which shut down the motor vehicle bureau for the day and kept people from obtaining police reports and other documents.
The building has no running water or air conditioning and is plagued with rodents, Joseph said.
Police Commissioner Franz Christian said service at Patrick Sweeney Headquarters will resume at 8 a.m. Monday. But Joseph said the union will assess the problem then and make a decision on whether the civilian staff will return to work.
"For weeks the employees have been complaining," Joseph said. "The employees can no longer take it."
"It’s not a case of a sickout. It’s a case of the conditions are deplorable," he said.

The low-pay-itis that has been sweeping teachers out of classrooms and closing territory schools a day at a time is showing no signs of a cure.
If anything, tensions may be escalating. Glen Smith, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Federation of Teachers, said late Thursday he will be filing a complaint Friday before the Public Employees Relations Board, charging the government with unfair labor practices for attempting to dock teachers for time out.
"We are countersuing them," he said, referring to the government's charge of unfair labor practices against the teachers.
Smith charged that the administration used Territorial Court by bringing an action against the unions, then withdrawing it once it got a restraining order
"They didn't want to argue their case," he said.
"Sickness is not limited only to the physical," said Cecil Benjamin, president of the St. Croix Federation of Teachers. No one should be docked for time off the past few weeks "until and unless the government can substantiate that that was a job action."
The unions continue to say the sickouts are not sanctioned or organized.
The round-robin nature of the action – teachers failing to show up at just one or a few schools for any given day – has several effects.
For one thing, it lengthens the action and maximizes the publicity. For another, it keeps the administration off-guard.
"We will keep the schools open," said Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds, since there has been no official job action declared.
One positive effect of the rotating actions is that students have not lost as much classroom time as in a traditional strike.
Basically, "it's been one day for each school," Simmonds said.
Neither Simmonds nor the union leaders were prepared yesterday to talk about make-up days.
"We haven't discussed it," Simmonds said, but added that the administration would need to "sit with the unions" to go over the issue.
"I want to see the commissioner sit down with the unions on some other issue," Smith said. "I do not see that as a major issue right now . . . We need to focus on the bigger picture. When there's a fire, you have to think about the firemen, too, not just the house and the people in it."
He said 40 to 50 teachers have left the public schools, and the territory, in the past year because of low pay and poor working conditions. Another 80 to 100 educators have retired early.
"The people are really down and they're desperate," Benjamin said, noting they haven't received salary increases in six years. "They're paid at a '93 level, and they have to pay bills at '99 prices."
Simmonds, herself a former teacher active in the union, said teachers are "very unhappy," but "I have a responsibility for the integrity of the department."
Reports of recent hiring of education administrators clearly have added to the teachers' anger. Simmonds defended the hirings, saying many were promotions that actually consolidated two jobs into one and saved the department the second salary.
For instance she said, Dr. Noreen Michael is now assistant commissioner but she continues to do the work she did as director of planning, research and evaluation. The government is saving the $50,000 she made under her old title.
The same thing happened in the public relations department, Simmonds said, when June Archibald became director; no one was hired in her old job and no one is getting her old salary of $30,0OO.
Moreover, some of the promotions didn't cost much, she said. The new insular superintendents are earning just $200 more per year than they made as school principals. "That's no raise."
"No raise" is what has angered teachers, and no one seems to know how long they will continue to take turns staying out of the schools.
"I would not try to second-guess them," said Simmonds.
"Those who know don't say and those who say don't know," said Smith.

The low-pay-itis that has been sweeping teachers out of classrooms and closing territory schools a day at a time shows no signs of a cure.
If anything, tensions may be escalating. Glen Smith, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Federation of Teachers, said late Thursday that he would file a complaint on Friday with the Public Employees Relations Board, charging the government with unfair labor practices for attempting to dock teachers for time out.
"We are countersuing them," he said, referring to the government's charge of unfair labor practices against the teachers.
Smith charged that the administration 'used' Territorial Court by bringing an action against the unions, then withdrawing it once it got a restraining order
"They didn't want to argue their case," he said.
"Sickness is not limited only to the physical," said Cecil Benjamin, president of the St. Croix Federation of Teachers. No one should be docked for time off the past few weeks, he said, "until and unless the government can substantiate that that was a job action."
The unions maintain the sickouts are not sanctioned or organized.
The round-robin nature of the action — teachers failing to show up at just one or a few schools on any given day — has several effects.
For one thing, it lengthens the action and maximizes the publicity. For another, it keeps the administration off-guard.
"We will keep the schools open," said Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds, since there has been no official job action declared.
One positive effect of the rotating actions is that students have not lost as much classroom time as they would in a traditional strike.
Basically, "It's been one day for each school," Simmonds said.
Neither Simmonds nor union leaders were prepared yesterday to talk about make-up days.
"We haven't discussed it," Simmonds said, adding that the administration would need to "sit with the unions" to go over the issue.
"I want to see the commissioner sit down with the unions on some other issue," Smith said. "I do not see that as a major issue right now . . . We need to focus on the bigger picture. When there's a fire, you have to think about the firemen, too, not just the house and the people in it."
He said 40 to 50 teachers have left the public schools, and the territory, in the past year because of low pay and poor working conditions. Another 80 to 100 educators have retired early.
"The people are really down and they're desperate," Benjamin said. They haven't received salary increases in six years. "They're paid at a '93 level, and they have to pay bills at '99 prices."
Simmonds, herself a former teacher active in the union, said teachers are "very unhappy," but "I have a responsibility for the integrity of the department."
Reports of recent hiring of education administrators clearly have added to the teachers' anger. Simmonds defended the hirings, saying many were promotions that actually consolidated two jobs into one and saved the department the second salary.
For instance she said, Dr. Noreen Michael is now assistant Commissioner but continues to do the work she did as director of planning, research and evaluation. The government is saving the $50,000 she made under her old title, Simmonds said.
The same thing happened in the public relations department, Simmonds said, when June Archibald became director. No one was hired for her old job and no one is getting her old salary of $30,0OO.
Moreover, some of the promotions didn't cost much, she said. The new insular superintendents are earning just $200 more per year than they made as school principals. "That's no raise."
"No raise" is what has angered teachers, and no one seems to know how long they will continue to take turns staying out of the schools.
"I would not try to second-guess them," said Simmonds.
"Those who know don't say, and those who say don't know," said Smith.

With Hurricane Floyd and Gert now history, the Beal Aerospace Rally returns this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Sunny Isle. The X-press Band wii be there as will free goodies.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) held its 26th Annual Legislative Conference September 16-18, 1999. At the invitation of Congresswoman Donna Christian Christensen, my family and I attended the weekend of activities.
My husband, Dr. Simon Jones-Hendrickson participated in the economic and health sessions. My 17-year-old daughter, Nesha, and I attended the health sessions.
The Health Braintrust, chaired by our Congresswoman, focused on mental health
issues. My daughter intended only to attend a few sessions. However, each session was so full of content interesting to all age groups that she remained the entire day.
Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher started with a call to action to eliminate disparities in health status among racial and ethnic groups by 2010. Meri Danquah, author of "Willow Weep for Me", moved the audience to tears with her autobiographical excerpt of her fight with depression and her inability to get insurance as a result of her diagnosis of clinical depression. Dr. Alan Herman, a South African living in America, startled the audience by relating that the younger the age of first pregnancy, all impregnated by adult males, the greater the risk of smoking, drinking and drug abuse; the greater the risk of premature births; and the greater the expenditure of dollars per pregnancy. His cry was characterized by the title of the panel— "Our Children, Our Treasure: Beginning at the Beginning."
Dr. Gilbert Parks, Chair of the National Medical Association Board of Trustees, who practices psychiatry in Topeka, Kansas, spoke of his wife. She had Rheumatic Fever at age 13. She spent many days in the hospital between ages 13 to 24 when her Penicillin was finally stopped. When her girlfriends were hospitalized, she would send him to see them. She refused to go. One year ago she fell and tore the tendons in her shoulder.
For five months, neither he nor any other physician could convince her to go to the hospital to get the needed surgery. During the five months, she developed diabetes, which was never evident before.
Dr. Parks is sure that the manifestation of the diabetes is the result of the stress related to having to consider going into the hospital. Dr. Parks clearly demonstrated with the story of his wife the inter-relationship between the oneness of body and mind. The mental stress of hospitalizations resulted in the manifestation of her Diabetes.
Dr. Marilyn Gaston, Assistant Surgeon General, who has dedicated her life to
improving primary care for children, explained that we have the most expensive health care system, yet we have 43 million citizens without health coverage, 700 mental health shortage areas, 2,500 primary care shortage areas and 500 dental health shortage areas. She pointed out that less than 1 percent of our trillion-dollar health budget goes to prevention. Startling statistics as they are, only 50 percent of persons with mental disorders seek help and when they do, they do so with primary care providers, not mental health professionals. Her plea was to integrate mental health into primary health care services for all studies show when you do both the patients who seek primary care improve their mental health, and the patients who seek mental health services improve their general health.
After hypertension and diabetes, depression is the third most common illness.
Many of the speakers described the redesign of the health care landscape by
developing a comprehensive health care model that deals with the stigma and emphasizes the strengths of the institutions that presently exist.
Dr. Lucille Perez, associate director for Medical and Clinical Affairs in the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, captured the hearts of all present with a moving video of
"One Song, Many Voices: Believing in one world, treat me with dignity—my race, my religion, my nationality—help me to celebrate my humanity."
My daughter, Nesha, admitted at the conclusion of the Health Braintrust conference that she now understood why physicians work so hard. She understood that when we start with truth, the truth of stresses, the truth of relationships, the truth of our health care system, that we can start the journey to real change that leads to wellness.
But I cannot finish this report without mentioning that she was also impressed by the opportunity for her brother, Marcus, and herself to visit the White House, and her best
friend, Kristen and herself to have the opportunity to personally meet President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, The Reverend Jesse Jackson and the three soldiers whose freedom from Kosovo he won. She also met Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and the list goes on.
It is clear that our Congresswoman, Dr. Donna Christian Christensen will continue to build bridges for the year 2000 and beyond.

Tim Duncan and Gov. Charles W. Turnbull will sign on Friday a tentative contract under which the Crucian basketball star will pay income taxes in the V.I. and promote the territory in return for unspecified tax breaks on future business endeavors.
As of Thursday, the Source was unable to obtain a copy of the contract from Government House despite numerous requests. Joel Holt, the attorney who drafted the contract for Duncan, couldn’t be reached for comment.
A Government House statement said the administration has entered into a tentative agreement with Duncan and his corporation, T.D. Enterprises.
Turnbull said the agreement provides tax incentive benefits to T.D. Enterprises that are linked to Duncan reestablishing residency on St. Croix, promoting the territory in advertisements, establishing his company headquarters in the territory, and paying personal income taxes to the V.I. government.
Depending on Duncan's future pro basketball contracts, the income-tax clause could mean several million dollars a year in government revenue.
In return, the government will bestow unspecified tax breaks on T.D. Enterprises, the company that will handle Duncan’s merchandising and sponsorship deals.
According to a souce familiar with the contract, T.D. Enterprises includes six stockholders. They have not been named.
A Government House spokeswoman, Rina McBrowne, said once the contract is signed Friday, it will be transmitted to Senate President Vargrave Richards either on the same day or Monday. At that point, she said, its contents will be made public.
"It’s still considered a tentative contract until it’s signed," she said, explaining why a copy couldn’t be made public prior to the signing on Friday.
The governor said he was "pleased that we were able to work out an agreement that will help to promote the Virgin Islands and bring business into the territory, especially at this time in our history when positive publicity is vitally needed, as well as an influx of commercial activity."

Two reorganization proposals sent from Government House to the Government Operations Committee were tabled Thursday.
Under one, the Narcotics Strike Force and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission would be transferred to the V. I. Police Department. The other would create a Division of Human Resources incorporating the Personnel Division and the Office of Collective Bargaining under one roof.
Sen. Lorraine Berry made a motion to table the bills, saying they would be included in the Fiscal Year 2000 Executive Budget, according to a release from the Legislature.
Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd's bill to offer accrued airline mileage on government-subsized travel for use by young people and athletes representing the V.I. was held in committee for a month.
A bill that would create penalties for the crime of carjacking, sponsored by Sen. Judy Gomez, was also held in committee.
The committee is chaired by Sen. Gregory Bennerson.

Tim Duncan and Gov. Charles Turnbull will sign a tentative contract Friday under which the Crucian basketball star will pay income taxes in the Virgin Islands and promote the territory in return for unspecified tax breaks on future business endeavors.
As of Thursday, The Source was unable to obtain a copy of the contract from Government House despite numerous requests. Joel Holt, the attorney who drafted the contract for Duncan, couldn’t be reached for comment.
A Government House press release said the administration has entered into a tentative agreement with Duncan and his corporation, T.D. Enterprises. Turnbull said the agreement provides tax incentive benefits to T.D. Enterprises that are linked to Duncan re-establishing residency on St. Croix, paying his personal income taxes to the V.I. government and establishing the headquarters of his company in the territory.
In return for Duncan appearing in an unknown number of promotional advertisements for the Virgin Islands and paying his personal income taxes in the territory, which could mean several million dollars a year in government revenue, depending on Duncan’s future professional basketball and commercial promotions contracts, the government will bestow unspecified tax breaks on T.D. Enterprises, the company that will handle Duncan’s merchandising and sponsorship deals.
According to an individual familiar with the contract, T.D. Enterprises includes six stockholders who have not been named.
Government House spokeswoman Rina McBrowne said once the contract is signed on Friday, it will be transmitted to Senate President Vargrave Richards that day or Monday. At that point, she said, copies will be made public.
"It’s still considered a tentative contract until it’s signed," she said, explaining why a copy couldn’t be made public prior to the signing.
The governor said he is "pleased that we were able to work out an agreement that will help to promote the Virgin Islands and bring business into the territory, especially at this time in our history when positive publicity is vitally needed, as well as an influx of commercial activity," she said.

The Senate Government Operations Committee on Thursday tabled two reorganization proposals from Government House.
One would transfer the Narcotics Strike Force and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission to the V. I. Police Department.
The other would create a Division of Human Resources incorporating the Personnel Division and the Office of Collective Bargaining under one roof.
Sen. Lorraine Berry made a motion to table both bills, saying they would be included in the Fiscal year 2000 Executive Budget, according to a release from the Legislature.
Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd's bill to offer accrued airline mileage on travel paid for by the government for use by young people and athletes representing the Virgin Islands was held in committee for a month.
Sen. Judy Gomez's bill to establish penalties for the crime of carjacking also was held in committee.

On August 28th, 1999, three months after the death of her beloved husband, St. Clair T. Bourne, Gwendolyn S. Bourne died of a cerebral hemorrhage. In accordance with her wishes, the body will be cremated.
Gwendolyn Louise Samuel Bourne was born on September 23, 1913, on the Caribbean island of Antigua, the youngest child of Catherine and John Samuel. Her father was a sailor and was lost at sea when Gwen was very young. With her mother, she came to the United States. After completing her education in the public elementary and Waldleigh High Schools, she enrolled in the Lincoln School for Nurses, to earn her certificate as a graduate nurse. She promptly passed the New York State Board examination to become a Registered Professional Nurse, and was appointed Nurse-in-Charge of the Eye and Ear, Nose and Throat clinics of Lincoln Hospital.
On April 11, 1937, she married journalist St.Clair T. Bourne, a union which remained unbroken for 62 years – the rest of her life. From that union came a son, St.Clair Cecil, a New York-based filmmaker, and a daughter, Judith Louise,an attorney based in St. Thomas, USVI.
Gwen Bourne added a B.S. in public health from New York University and from Fordham University her M.S.S.W. (Master of Science in Social Work), and this led her ultimately into a broader field of medical work. Prior to entering medical social work, she was the first black nurse hired by the Jewish Philanthropies to work at Camp Oakhurst, a summer facility for orthopedically handicapped children in Asbury Park, NJ. She was also one of the first Black nurses hired by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York and taught hygiene and home nursing for the American Red Cross.
Mrs. Bourne accepted a position as social worker at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn and, after some years there, joined the medical social work staff of the New York City Department of Social Services, where she rose to the position of Director of the Division of Medical Social Work Services, from which she retired in 1978.
Very active in many areas, over and above her professional career work, she was a member of the New York State Nurses Association, District 13; served, during World War II, as Membership Secretary of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurse Alumnae Association.
Gwen Bourne was one of the founders of the Department of Social Services NAACP Branch, and was an active member of Local 371, Social Service Employees
Union; District Council 37, State, County and Municipal Workers, where she also served as a member of the union's negotiating committee and the Association of Supervisors of the Department of Social Services. After her retirement, she continued working with District 37 as a member of its Retirees Association Health Committee, and also worked with the Health and Hospitals Corporation. She was also a Life Member of the Civil Service Retired Employees Association.
In community cultural and social areas, Gwen Bourne was equally active. She participated in the founding of the Medgar Evers Community College, was founding president of the Brooklyn Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and was called back to the presidency ten years later, in 1961.
She was a member of the Gothamettes and president of the club when it celebrated is 40th anniversary.
As a long-time member of the Brooklyn Links she served in several offices and on many working committees. An active participant with the Girl Scouts of America. Other active memberships included the Senior Citizen Liaison Committee of the Kings County Medical Society and the Brooklyn Academy of Medicine, and the Advisory Council of Educational Sponsorship Program.
A memorial celebration of her life was held on Saturday, September 11 at 10 a.m. at St. Ignatius R.C. Church of Rogers Avenue between Carroll and Crown Streets, Brooklyn, NY. And a Memorial Service will be held at the Cathedral Church of St. John in Antigua on October 2, 1999.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the St.Clair T. and Gwen S. Bourne Memorial Fund (formerly the St.Clair T. Bourne Memorial Fund) at 190
Sullivan Place, Brooklyn, NY 11225.