BIU President: Renaissance Aviation Dispute
Earlier today [Feb.28] Bermuda Industrial Union [BIU] President Chris Furbert held a press conference at BIU headquarters regarding the dispute over staff layoffs at Renaissance Aviation, a locally owned company that provides cleaning and other services to aircraft at the LF Wade International Airport.
Mr Furbert said that that he had been given permission to call a General Assembly meeting and that such a meeting was more likely to happen this week than next. This permission had been granted following a General Council meeting that lasted from 12:00pm to approximately 1:30pm today.
The driver for the meetings is a dispute between the BIU and Renaissance Aviation, which employs around 50 people. The dispute involves matters of Union recognition and company downsizing in response to the current economic climate. The dispute also pulls in the Labour Relations Office and interpretations of the Employment Act 2000. The Minister for the Economy has been drawn into it, having met with the BIU President this afternoon.
A timeline for the dispute from the BIU’s perspective:
- October 5th 2010 – The BIU writes to Renaissance Aviation seeking to be recognized as the bargaining agent for all Renaissance Aviation employees [said to be about 50]. Under the Employment Act, this should or could result in a secret ballot amongst all employees and the Union might win or might lose.
- October 20th 2010 – Renaissance Aviation had not replied as required, within the stipulated fourteen day period, according to the BIU.
- The BIU then wrote to the Labour Relations Officer, noted the events, and asked to be recognized in default, as allowed in the Employment Act.
- January 7th 2011, the BIU is informed that the matter can only be dealt with if the letter requesting recognition had been sent to the Director (for) Labour Relations; and that the matter of Union recognition as the sole bargaining agent is, therefore, not settled. On that same date, the BIU says that Renaissance Aviation terminated twenty employees. The BIU position on the terminations is that all twenty were said to be known as ‘pro-union’.
- On or about 16th February 2011, these twenty were offered re-employment if they signed certain papers and made certain agreements with Renaissance Aviation. The BIU position is that they had insufficient time to brief all twenty; and that 7 of the twenty did not sign.
- Between 16th and 25th February the matter was not resolved, hence the BIU General Council meeting was called for today.
A statement issued by Renaissance Aviation is below:
Renaissance Aviation recently met with their entire staff and announced that they were implementing an across-the-board 10% pay cut for all management and staff.
All non-payroll related expenditures have already been the target of cost reductions since the beginning of 2011, as a consequence of the current economic climate.
Unfortunately a small minority of staff felt unable to accept this reduction, and after much discussion, including recommendations to the staff by Labour Relations Officers and the BIU, and their subsequent refusal to accept, the difficult step was taken to sever their employment, effective the 24th February.
Renaissance Aviation prides itself on being 100% staffed by 46 Bermudians or spouses of Bermudians, with no non-Bermudian staff.
Renaissance Aviation Management stated, “We deeply regret the effect that this reduction will have on our valued employees, and are taking this necessary step only after significant time and effort has been made reviewing all current and forecasted expenditure levels.
Regarding the recent severance of these seven employees, we are very concerned about the misrepresentation of this issue by the BIU, as we gave this small group of staff every opportunity to agree to the required pay reduction. These attempts included meeting with the BIU, though they are not currently representatives of our staff, at which point any coercion claims were categorically denied.
At this meeting the economic reality of the situation was explained and BIU management agreed that our request was valid, and stated that they intended to recommend acceptance of the pay reduction to the staff at a meeting on February 18th.
Only after we made two subsequent attempts to gain employee agreement on the 21st and 22nd of February, and after extending the deadline twice, did we find ourselves forced to move to severance. Counter to the BIU’s claims, we have repeatedly and sincerely stated to the BIU and the Labour Department that we have absolutely no objection to union representation of our staff. Formal process for this to occur is underway with a Tribunal meeting scheduled for March 3rd.”
Renaissance Aviation Management are optimistic that this necessary pay reduction will safeguard all remaining staff positions, providing forecasted flight schedules are not reduced during the course of 2011. “As an organization, our focus continues to be the delivery of excellent services supporting the Airline industry as they endeavor to bring vacation and business travelers to Bermuda.”
Here we go again!!!!!
Lord …this Island is be run by Chris Furbert !!!
You know I am sick of Chris Furbert and the Union thinking that they can run EVERY business in Bermuda! I have heard both sides of this and what the union is not telling the public is THEY dropped the ball. They were in agreement with the company on the remaining employees signing the letters, but they (the union) did not tell them and missed the twice extended deadline. To add insult to injury these employees were curinsing out managment, making threats and expressing that no matter what they were not signing. Once again the union are condoning this type of dispresctful behaviour. I am sure if I behave this way to my managment team I am not going t have a job. If these few don’t want to sign then move aside and let some of those whp really want to work fill those jobs. Brother Furbert you already run the BIU and the Government isn’t that enough!!!!!
Chris Furbert for Premier?
I would like to thank the union for being active in this regard. I would like to know how you would feel if you dont get paid for Public Holidays<Leave Pay
Easy way to fix this is to fire all the staff and hire new people. Sorry, but i’m a bit tired of the Union (which I used to fully support) and people’s whining on their jobs. There are people who are NOT working at all that would take your job with the reduced hours and not complain.
These staff only work a 4 hour day, 20 hours a week! IMAGINE THAT!!! They already don’t have a full day’s work and are being forced to take a pay cut. Are you people serious???
When Government surrendered to the BIU in the bus dispute, the wheels were set in motion to make it impossible for employers to trim staff during these tough times. Surely we can expect more closures because of this. In the end, who suffers?
Oh come on! We’re going to have a general strike now? THIS COMPANY ISNT EVEN UNIONIZED!! Give me a break! Comeon Bermuda, wake up and smell the coffee. Stick it out Renaisance, kick em to the curb and finally show that someone has the BALLS to stand up to these idiots bent on our destruction!
Exactly, They aren’t even part of the Union. SO WHY IS THE BIU INVOLVED????? Did I miss something?
Yes you missed something. The company is unionized with the Bda Employers Council (they are a trade UNION in case you didn’t know), why cant the staff become unionized – think about it. When the redundancies came about the staff were in the process of becoming certified since October 2010. For you information This company refused to allow their staff union representation, and furthermore, listen to the entire story before you make stupid comments! I’d love to see you employer come and order you to take a 10% decrease in wage when you only work 4 hours a day without even having the decency to discuss it with you first. You go ahead and believe this company. The truth will come out soon…….stay tuned!!!
It’s the UBP’s fault. Get over it.
furbert needs to go…who the f@@k he think he is…
A Controller !!! and gets away with it because no-one stands up to him… he is the most powerful man in Bermuda right now!
He is NOT the most powerful man in Bermuda!!! Perhaps he thinks so in his mind but in the reality the rest of us live in he is a very small, misguided, and seemingly intelligence challenged individual. Please don’t feed his inflamed ego.
Renaissance Aviation needs to stand up to the BIU where Government could not. Chris Furbert/BIU think that they can bully anyone with the threat of a potential strike of its divisions. I say call their bluff!! Even IF they do decide to strike, I guarantee you it won’t last more than a week or two before the need to be paid commands those same unionized workers to return to work.
The BIU (leadership) is like a spoiled child and needs some good old fashioned LICKS! I surely hope Renaissance has the b*lls to do so.
What is not being said is what part the company plays in all of this.
They put in unrealistically low bids for contracts just to win them with no means to pay for them other than to have the employees pay for their bad management decisions.
How many of you will be willing to take a 15% pay cut without any hope or assurance that you will never be able to recoup any of this let alone try to get a basic cost of living increase.
Let your company exploit you and see how many will just accept this as just a cause of doing business.
Stand firm.
United you stand, divided you fall.
Bermie,
What you fail to realize is that many people here have ALREADY taken pay cuts, and many workers in Bermuda have been told by their management teams that they will WILL NOT be getting a cost of living increase this year – myself included (and I work for a private company). Even the BPSU workers are not getting a cost of living increase -1.5% is NOT a cost of living increase when inflation is something like 3% or 4%, and the cost of everything goes up faster than your income does. The position of these workers is no different from anyone else in Bermuda.
What is so repugnant and wrong is the BIU using threats like this to bully a PRIVATE COMPANY into hiring back these workers. Do you think that international business would tolerate this? When the exempt companies see this sort of thing going on, do you think they will want to stay, or will it not just give them another reason to want to leave (like they are already doing?) They will never allow themselves to be forced into hiring workers they don’t want or need simply to pacify the Union.
The only exploitation going on here is the BIU exploting their position, and exploiting average Bermudians who rely on public transportation to get to work. The Union clearly needs to be brought under control.
Firstly, ive taken a pay cut, just to make sure i have a job. It sucks, but as you hear when all the pot washing jobs come around, bermudians think they are too good to work for a lower wage. this is a recession and they need to suck up their pride. if they dont like it, they get replaced.
other people have been fired and let go, and they were perfect workers, but the companies just cannot afford it at this time.
secondly, its crap like this that makes private/international companies not want to hire bermudians. crap liek this that gives bermudians a bad reputation, and gives them a stigma to carry when applying. The union makes it so difficult to fire an employee that isnt fitting, vs expats, so why on earth would they want to hire local except to meet a quota? this is one of the big drivers as to why bermudians dont get hired for international business jobs…
HEELLLOOOO!!!!! Do you know how many companies are already doing this and have done. It’s companies trying to do what they can to save themselves. This is the true state of the island right now. and another Newsflash for you, It’s world wide! It sucks sure, but they are left with no choice, they either close there doors or they cut costs. My Boyfriend had his work week reduced (reduced pay). Another friend of mine had a paycut and week reduced (double whammy reduced pay). Both of my sisters had their pay cut. Are you so blind where you can’t see that these companies are struggling. Start you own business and make it through this terrible time and see how united you are idiotic cases like this. First the Bus driver now this. COME ON! Of course businesses put low bids in to get business in the door. They do the work and then hope their reputation builds and drums more business. It’s not bad management IT’s SAVING THE COMPANY. And if you want to remain employed and care about your job then you are going to want to save the company as well. Another thing, Why is the BUI involved when they are not even unionized!? Get real!
Do you people understand that these staff already only work a 4 hour day????? And just for your information, each and every one of these people are extremely hard workers. Keep listening to this company, you’re going to find out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth very soon……stay tuned!
Umm, I was told that they weren’t even being asked to take the pay cut until AFTER their work hours came back up. How come you’re saying the truth is going to come out, when you’re not even telling the whole truth yourself? Hmmm?
and the ferry captain wasnt really drunk? the bus driver didnt really go do another job/forge signature?
at hte end of the day the BIU has lost credibility. whether this is a legit concern or not, chris furbert cannot be trusted to perform his duties in the interest of the island.
Sometimes you fall when ur united too..
UNited you fall, divided you fall. Oops. SOMETIMES, united you fall and divided you DON’T fall. Sometimes the following the crowd is actually stupid. Lemmings are united too. Right up to the point that they jump off the cliff and drown.
How exactly do you know what there bidding practise was? Either way, 10% and a job, 0% and no job. Hmm, know whayt I’d choose…
How can the Union make demands of a private firm when said firm doesn’t even have a Union agreement?! This is repugnant and unacceptable. If I managed that company I close it down now… before the Union puts it out of business. Then what are you gonna do Chris, force it to open again? BWAA-HA-HA-HA!
You know what really make me smile here, we have all these (educated)people making comments about these situations and they dont know a dam things about what is going on. They only see what they want to see.
Hear they are trying to run down Bro. Chris for standing up for the employees, do they realize that if it were not for the Union and THEIR FOR FATHERS that they (all) would not be reaping the luxury and benefits that we all as workers have today be they union or not. With this and the last incidents you all don’t and will not know all the issues because if you take a relationship and there is a problem in the home do we as outsiders know what is really going on in the home. I say not! So children and fools…..
Also ask yourself if you were taking home $200.01 every week as your salary and asked to take a paycut of 10% would you and at the same time being told that you are a valid employee? On another hand you know that your supervisor is making changes to her schedule to see that she has more hours in and cutting yours and told that the cuts are across the board.
You see until your house is CLEAN dont try to come and SWEEP someone else.
You will strike yourselves into oblivion. Ask all the staff of Sonesta, Lantana, Elbow Beach, all the other closed accomodation propertys how things are going?
Stand firm Renaisance. If necessary pull a Ronald Reagan, as he did with the air traffic controllers, fire the lot of them & rehire new. If this is what it takes to give Chris Furburt & the BIU a reality check then then bring on a strike. people will car pool. KEMH has not had a real good cleaning since 1981. There are plenty of unemployed who would jump in to help.
To the strikers. Does Chris Furburt get paid while you are on strike?
If i have a problem at home, i don’t expect all my significant other’s friends to come gang up on me and say they wont work unless i take her back…so thats just a dumb point to start wtih..
yes making $200 and then having to take a pay cut sucks, but what if you stick around a bit longer.. and the recession/wages kills the company? then you are making $0, which is a 100% cut.. do the math, and stop thinking of the immediate situation.
as TD said, these BIU members will strike themselves jobless… they will make any members of the BIU unhire-able..why would someone want to hire someone with such a huge amount of baggage when they could go grab someone from the BPSU that stands for serious matters, not any matter..?? give me a break.
unions were useful when there were not laws to protect workers. now that there are employment acts and laws, the unions purpose is not needed as much.
Yes. Sounds good in theory. How long has the employment act been around? I know 6 months ago the BIU stood up for me after 5 years of constant employer abuse. I think Bermudians need to stand firm in these tough times. If the company cannot afford to pay its employees what was agreed to at hiring then yes it should close its doors. And when it does the management should learn a lesson, don’t make a bid on work you cannot afford to do. One thing is for sure, the planes will get cleaned. Thank goodness the BIU are here to fight for your protection even as you bash them. The only thing Bermuda has to keep companies from freely abusing its workers are people like Brother Somner or Brother Furbert. If it was not for the BIU every employee on the island would make less. Don’t make fun of the guy who is fighting the bully for you because he has big muscles. Most employers are part of a union, there goal? How to make the most profit and pay the least wage. It should be how to get the best management staff in place to grow business to afford to pay the staff a competitive wage. Don’t fall sucker to the cop out that its a tough economy. It’s a tough economy because we don’t have enough Somner or Furberts out there standing up and making sure businesses do the right thing.
Give me a break! I already have and so many others! You want a Job that’s what you do to keep it! Go sell crazy someplace else. I’m all stocked up here. Don’t tell us the ones commenting and experience this first hand that we don’t understand, and we make you smile?? HAHAHA! In fact the opposite i think. You make me smile and laugh out loud, cause you have no clue. Seriously!
I’ll say it again, these employees only work 4 hours a day!!!!! Think about it!
What exactly is your point? You’ve said it like 4 times now. If they’re working 4 hours a day, surely they must have acceptd a job where they only work 4 hours a day. If they didn’t want to work 4 hours a day, why not get a job somewhere else? Are you saying that it’s unfair that airport work is seasonal? Why not just boycott the airlines then?
I thought the issue was they had to take a 10% pay cut or the company was going to shut down? Wouldnt that be 0 hours a day? Seems like that is worst than 4 hours a day.
Oh wait, AND I heard that they weren’t even asking for them to take the pay cut untilll AFTER they had there full time hours back?
So you’re saying that they’re getting paid like $5 an hour? Rubbish. Even if it was 20 hours a week, that’s still $10 an hour. No way, I don’t believe it…
He is now calling for a general meeting, I guess to shut down services for a couple of hours. The BIU should have been allowed to go bankrupt and not bailed out by us. He is trying to extort the people of Bermuda. His actions will only sink us deeper into the recession. It should have been my company, I would fire everybody, then hire only people who really need to work.
You won’t have to worry about a house when your living in a box. Poor pity me the bank is collecting at least one house every month and you all think your entitled to work. You need a reality check go talk to someone who isn’t working and are on the verge of loosing everything. This is real what good will come if the union paralyzes this Island.
Again I say Children and FOOLS!!
PLAIN and SIMPLE, WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW YOU JUST DON’T KNOW!!!
I say bring it on Mr. Furbert. This island needs a good union busting strike. Its the off season and there are no tourists anyway. Strike now why wait? Hopefully the company will have balls to stick to their guns unlike the nutless minister who caved in on the bus driver issue.
I bet that none of the writers of these comments that are attacking the Union and the staff really know what is going on here.
Like them or not, the Union was born out of the necessity of workers being unjustly and unfairly treated by the companies that they work for.
This case is no different in that the employees of Renaissance are working under conditions that not one of you you will be willing to endure.
There is so much more to this case than workers refusing to take a pay cut. Ask the staff about the basic benefits that they are entitled to and paying for yet they cant even go to their doctor because their insurance hasn’t been paid up.
The only weapon that they have to fight with is their labour and if they wish to employ the Union to fight on their behalf, they have every right to do so.
There is nothing wrong in them expecting to be treated like basic human beings and I am willing to bet that each and every one of you that are working would expect nothing less of your employer.
AMEN to that I am with you!!
Thats the reason I speak of CHILDREN and FOOLS!!!
Reality Check,
You are missing the point. No one disputes a worker’s right to receive fair wages and basic benefits. What is at issue here is the MANNER in which the BIU goes about trying to secure those rights. Threats of a general strike are never conducive to anyone’s good. How do you justify inconveniencing the entire Island with wildcat/general strikes simply because a few people lost their jobs? How does it make sense to hinder everyone else’s right to go to work and send their children to school because of this? You seem to forget that the the BIU does NOT pay its workers – WE DO! i.e. the average worker who gets a kick in the face anytime someone does something the Union don’t like.
FYI, I happen to know many people who are and have been working in bad jobs with bad/unfair conditions. But they do it because they know jobs are scarce and they have families to support. So they take the wages while they wait for something better to come along. That’s all anyone can do. No one if FORCED to work for Renaissance or any other company.
And by the way, do you honestly believe that fighting for a man’s job who lied/stole time from his employer to work another job is an exmaple of defending someone who is being “unjustly and unfairly treated by the company he works for?” But that is another issue all together…
You fail to understand. This company has NOT tried to do anything right for their employees. 3 meetings they refused to attend. That sure does sound like a company that is trying to assist their employees through this “financial crisis”. The truth will come out, just stay tuned! You may want to kick yourself in the end, believe me! How would you like to know your benefits were not being paid and had been taken out of your cheque, or working WITHOUT insurance??? You see, it’s a heck of a lot more going on here than you know. Like i said……STAY TUNED………..
I think the main issue is that three weeks ago there was a strike that was not warranted. Unions are put in place to look out for the greater good of workers. They have been successful in getting health insurance, ensuring that we are not working for low wages, and ensured our general safety at work.
It sounds like to me the union boss himself is unaware of what a union should be fighting for. I am all for unions – BUT not this type of union that thinks that their job is to strike because they don’t get what they want.
it doesnt matter what they are striking for.. after the bus fiasco, everyone just wants to see furbert go down. he cause this all himself.
ding ding ding, we have a winner.
So hang on, you are saying you’ve got PROOF that their insurance isn’t being paid? Best take that to the police then, cause it’s illegal. Or are you actually speaking out of some orifice that isn’t your mouth? I’m sorry, if there was anything illegal going on here, with all this scrutiny, why wouldn’t brother chris have brought it up in one of the many press conferences?
“The only weapon that they have to fight with is their labour and if they wish to employ the Union to fight on their behalf, they have every right to do so.”
Actually, they would also have another major weapon, called the courts, and if there actually were anything wrong going on, why not just sue? Isn’t there a LAW that protects workers now? If the employer were doing wrong, and I threatened to sue, they’d back down REAL quick.
Let them strike! These are hard times in Bermuda. We have highly educated young adults that have graduated from university that CAN NOT FIND A JOB! Any job! So we have a general strike – lets hire people that our out of work and desparate for a job. I guess it is allowing for natural attrition.
OMG!! Here we go again. They should’ve taken the pay cut then they would still have a job. I know somany who have taken a pay cut, and not asked. Just told their pay was being cut. WOW this union is way out of hand! Prepare yourselves Bermuda, here comes another strike!
Because BIU management is so intellectually challenged…the only language they understand is strike.
To come together with a list of grievances and discuss these greviances, and remedies where a spirit of collaboration and meeting in the middle for the good of all is the objective is not Chris Furbert’s style. He wants to make as much noise as he can parading around in his Armani suits and enjoy the satisfaction (rightly or wrongly) of bringing people to their knees.
Furbert has to recognize that there is a whole different, bigger world outside of the BIU. He can’t transcend the boundaries so he strikes to get some attention. Pitiful.
He has taken union relations back years. There is no one in their right mind that believes this bus driver, the drunken ferry driver a few years back or that Renaissance should be forced to hire these “team players” who did not see the need for 10% cutbacks now when so many of their colleagues have already been let go. Crazy stuff. Who is next in line for leadership there?
Question, if everybody in Renaissance Aviation refused to accept the 10% pay reduction, would the company fold, losing all the jobs?
They were told that if they didn’t accept the pay cut the company would fold. AND let’s not forget that the BIU admitted that they TOLD them to accept the pay cut and they STILL refused… COME ON!!
i haven’t read all the comments so i could be repeating someone’s post but could someone help me with this?
i don’t understand how Chris Furbert can call a general meeting and possibly a general strike using using mostly Government employees for a matter pertaining to a private company. i do understand that they would all be a part of the same union but it still doesn’t make sense to me. how does the private matter extend to inconveniencing the general pubic?
i find it hard to believe that if there was a dispute with govt employees and the govt that the staff at Renaissance Aviation would down tools and refuse to service the planes that they are being paid to service by a company totally separate from the govt.
so how can the downing of tools by govt employees (who’s wages are being paid for by the very ppl they inconvenience) be justified for a private dispute?
Quick answer is that Bermuda is Another World. The BIU is law unto itself.
The general strike of 81 started with hospital workers. It had nothing to do with hotel workers but it turned into the week that Bermuda tourism started to die.
Let em strike. You strike, you don’t get paid. Maybe then the finance Minister could get a windfall of real money to put towards the $150M she supposedly wants to save rather than smoke & mirrors voodoo accounting she is using now.
LudaChris strikes again.
You are all mising the point – “EMPLOYMENT AT WILL” No one is forced to work a day in their life for any company – Rennaisance, KFC, the Government… If you don’t like the pay, the uniforms, the sign on the front door, your manager: QUIT! TAKE YOUR BALL AND GO HOME. STEP ASIDE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE YOUR JOB! And in this economy, there will be many people lined up to take your job – even if just to get back on their feet until they find something better. And shame on us Bermudians if foreigners get our jobs – OUR OWN DAMNED FAULT! GROW UP, GROW A PAIR AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Too many cry babies on this island…Furrrrburrrt the loudest one.
If you currently in a Bda job and haven’t had a pay cut or hour cut then you among the very lucky!!!! BIU better get real. You are re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic!!!!!
The sad thing is, you all have received snippets of the whole story. When truth comes out, I am sure you will all eat your words. No one deserves to be treated the way these employees have been treated! Stay tuned…..truth will be revealed.
What truth? Let’s have it. Or maybe you’re just waiting to make something else up? The only things I’ve believed are based on the things I’ve heard AND heard confirmed by BOTH sides;
-Pay cut offered and refused (BIU admits)
-Staff told take cut or be dismissed (BIU admits)
-BIU recommends that they take pay cut (BIU admits)
-Staff refuses (BIU admits)
-Staff made redundant/dismissed (BIU admits)
-BIU threatens everone and starts screaming nonsense (BIU admits)