Some of the members during the meeting on Tuesday. Several members opted out of a photo for privacy reasons.
PHILIPSBURG--The Windward Islands Teachers’ Union (WITU) said that after three days of meetings with its members at Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA), the school board of directors had confirmed via a formal letter that the vacation allowance payment has been transferred to all employees who are entitled to it.
The funds for the vacation allowance were released late Wednesday afternoon, according to a press release from WITU.
Regarding the work permits, WITU said the CBA board had indicated they are now awaiting the forms to pay for the permits, owing to a miscommunication between them and the Labor Department. Following completion of this, the impacted members will be contacted to pick up the receipt.
WITU vice president Roxsana Pantophlet emphasised in a letter to the CBA board that the urgency of receiving the labour permits cannot be stressed enough. She further pleaded with the CBA board to use their best efforts to distribute these documents to WITU’s members by 12:30pm today, Thursday, December 15.
All meetings over the last three days were chaired by Pantophlet, with support from WITU General Secretary Glenda Mussen, Immediate Past President Claire Elshot, Assistant Treasurer Rosalinda Martina, and the CBA shop stewards.
Unfortunately, due to his attendance at a Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) conference in Belize, WITU President Stuart Johnson was unable to attend in person. Nonetheless, he tried to stay informed and, permitting his availability on occasion, helped mediate the situation.
In conclusion, the WITU board thanked its members for their patience and diligence. “Even though they were unhappy, they persisted in their commitment and carefully completed their work-related tasks while they awaited a positive resolution at our office in Madame Estate,” said the release.
