Philipsburg: --- At least 20 employees of the St. Maarten Tender Services have begun industrial action today (Tuesday) demanding that management of the company pay them their retroactive pay. On the scene was President of the Windward Island Civil Servant Union William Reed. Reed said the union has been in negotiations with management of Tender Services for the past 11 months and they managed to work out an agreement but management does not want to pay the workers their retroactive pay, something he said the workers are entitled to. He said owner of the Tender Services Bobby Velasquez already indicated to them that he would have the cruise ships cancel their visits to St. Martin for the next week instead of paying them. "We already worked out the increase in salaries as well as the working conditions and the only point that had to be settled is the retroactive pay. Mr. Velasquez decided that he is not going to make that payment of the salary increase from the time the negotiation begins. But management only wants to pay from January 2009.
Something the workers would not accept." Reed said the union even tried to negotiate with management because he even tried to get management to pay the retroactive from June last year but Velasquez he said does not intend to pay the workers since he is saying he does not have monies for that. Reed said the decision taken by Valesquez is totally unacceptable and he does not have the goodwill of his workers at heart.
Reed said his members are looking at the development of the marina empire which they said cost millions while they the workers are only asking for hundreds. He said the workers felt this is a matter of principle and if these monies are not paid to them they would not return to work since they have had enough. Reed said Valesquez should take in consideration that the economic times are hard and the workers need more monies. He said it is hard for the workers to see the development of the marina over the years and they who are working extra hours are not benefitting from the growth of the company. He said it is the union who had to put up huge fights with management for the workers to have a pension plan and other benefits for them and their families since management of the Tender Services were denying the workers these benefits. Reed said the workers of Tender Services were never receiving overtime pay instead they were being paid for the amount of hours they work. "These workers never received the 200% or the 150% in overtime pay." Reed said the workers are carrying a resentment towards the company because they feel they have been exploited over the years. Reed said unless the mediator meets with them the workers would not go back to work. He said he cannot understand how Valesques can take a decision to cancel close to 15 ships instead of paying the workers. He said he does not understand what type of message Valesquez is sending to the people of St. Martin.
Boyd Sabaroche an employee for the past 19 -years said when he started working for the company they only had one tender but now there are 13. He said over years the company developed tremendously and felt they should be given what is due to them
Shop Stewart for the WISCU Andrew Ellivic said over the years they have been abused since they never received their over time. He said it's only when they joined the union they began getting these benefits. He said company acknowledged they broke the law over the years and they rectified it but refused to pay them the retroactive payment over the years. He said during the negotiations the union had to agree to the terms management wanted yet still they want to deny them their monies.
Ellivic charged that the company is making lots of monies from the Tender Services because the tourist always pays their fares to and from town. He said when the stores in Phillipsburg are crying out about the kind of sales they get the Tender Services does not have that problem because the tourist pay their fare even if they don't spend one cent in town. He said the tourist loves the service of the Tender Services over taxi services and all of this Valesquez know this. He said they needed a better salary and they had to let go of it. The WISCU shop steward said they are forced to work long hours before they can take home a reasonable salary.
Another long time employee Sandra Blaze who has been working for the company for the past 18 years said they want management to respect them and pay them what is due to them. She said management can do whatever they want but they must pay them. She said the workers never refused to work but they need their monies so that can take care of their families. As for respect she said Valesquez tried to intimidate the workers by going to them and ask them if they were part of the strike also.
Blaze said Valesquez is claiming he does not have monies to pay them but in her opinion the company has monies because Valesquez she said told them he would cancel all ships coming to the island this week. "If there is no money then people would have to work. But they have money that is why they can cancel all the ships for this week." Blaze said the company has money that is why they are taking these types of risks. She said the company does not seem to need their workers since he can do as he pleases. She said no one know what they are going through because they are working everyday. She said during the off season they can hardly meet their needs while the company is making millions. She asked what is wrong with paying them their retroactive pay.
In response to the charges made by the union and the workers Bobby Valesquez said they were in negotiations for 11 months because the union (WISCU) practically dragged their feet in the negotiations. He said the union representatives did nothing but prolong the negotiation. Valesquez said the company manages its books on a yearly basis which runs from January to December and the books already closed. He said the company gave all the workers their increases which ranges from 10 to 18% depending on the amount of years they worked for the company. He said the company has always treated its workers fairly and the St. Maarten Tender Services is the only company in the Antilles that pays their workers well. Valesquez said the Union even mentioned this in Curacao and Statia when they negotiated there. Valesquez said the company has no time to play games with the union and he intends to make sure the tenders work on Wednesday. He considered the actions taken by the union very irresponsible since he was not notified by the union prior to the action being taken. Valesquez said the union wants him to break the law by altering his books to pay the workers for last year something he does not intend to do. Moreover, Valesquez provided the media with a letter he sent to the Union on April 6th telling them that stated the company agrees to pay the retroactive for the year 2009. Employees will receive all that is due to them upon signing of the Collective Labor Agreement. The letter states that the company cannot back date the salaries for last year and the company cannot meet such an obligation since they did not budget for that in 2008.
It is also stated that the company has the best interest of its workers at heart and they are paying the best wages in the Antilles.
Tender Service said its time to move forward since they have not created the problems they are facing but as a company they must deal with it. Furthermore, the company reminds the unions of the impact their actions is having on the island as well as the company.
Valesquez said Reed have slow in responding to the company because he is the one who always have to remind Reed that the CLA is up and negotiation has to begin.
On the charges on cancelling the ships coming to St. Maarten Valesquez calls the accusation ludercrist since he has nothing to do with the scheduling of these ships. He said despite he is a member of FCCA he has no jurisdiction on the ships. Furthermore he said despite the indifferences he maybe having he would never do anything to hurt his island. Valesquez said he is not the one hurting the island during this economic times its Reed and his gang that is hurting the economy of the island. "People depend on the Tender Services".
As per the development at the Marina, Velázquez said he cannot understand what one thing has to do with the other. Be said Bobby's Group Holding Companies has several companies in it and not only the Tender Services. He said he does not know what type of millions the employees and their union are talking about since his books are being audited every year by Price Water and Coopers and anyone can see what the holding companies makes. Valesquez called on his employees to look at their salaries and the benefits they are getting, since the company has given them all the benefits they are due to. He consideration the accusations made by the workers and the union as ‘hog wash". He said is book is open for everyone to see.
Mr. Bobby Valesquez assured that despite the outcome of the actions taken the Tender Services will be operating tomorrow (Wednesday).