PRESS STATEMENT by UNION: On Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 6:00pm, under the direction of Mr. Harcourt Brown, Director of Labour at the Department of Labor, UTEB met with the College in an attempt to strike an agreement, outlining the conditions under which negotiations would resume. The College was represented by the Dean of Liberal Arts, Dr. Earla Carey-Baines, and the College’s Registrar, Dr. Danny Davis. However, at approximately 8:30pm, both Dr. Carey-Baines and Dr. Davis left the building before an agreement could be reached.
Much to the Union’s regret, the College was unwilling to accept UTEB’s proposal that its members return to their normal duties, while the Union’s negotiating team worked with the College to have an agreement finalized by May 14, 2010. After two years of protracted talks, UTEB still remains hopeful and committed to having a signed industrial agreement in place before the end of semester and hopes the College is committed to the same.
UTEB feels that the situation at the College is now so bad that the entire future of the College is at stake. We ask that all concerned, particularly the Government of the Bahamas recognize the seriousness of the situation and the deleterious impact that the College President and the Council Chairman’s refusal to negotiate in good faith will have on the College and the future leaders of the Bahamas.
