BIU President Comments On Election Results
Bermuda Industrial Union President Chris Furbert commented on the election results today, saying he feels the people who didn’t vote gave the government to the OBA.
Mr Furbert said: “On behalf of the BIU membership, I would like to congratulate Mr Craig Cannonier the new Premier and leader of the country, and the OBA for winning the recently concluded general election. Allow me to say also, of course the BIU is extremely disappointed the PLP was not able to retain the government.”
He commented on the low voter turnout, saying the 67.4% voter turnout in 2012 was the lowest seen in many years. Mr Furbert said 1993 saw a 75.8% turnout, 1998 had a 81.4% turnout, 2003 saw a 75.4% turnout, and the voter turnout in 2007 was 75.8%.
Mr Furbert said: “While I understand the OBA is the new government, I honestly think they didn’t win the government, the people in this country who didn’t vote gave the government to the OBA. That’s my opinion.”
“I guess frustration, people have been saying they are not going to the polls to vote this time around,” said Mr Furbert. “Because they were upset with Government about certain things they had not done, or they were concerned about the unemployment rate…”
Mr Furbert continued: “While the unemployment rate in Bermuda went to lengths it had not gone to since the great depression of 1929, I would like to give the Government some credit that they did preserve the unemployment rate from going even higher.
“Had the Government not stepped in and bailed out the Bank of Butterfield…800 more jobs would have went. Had the Government not stepped in and gave the concessions to the hotel sector…you know there are over 2000 workers in the hotel industry…
“Unemployment could have went to 20%. While I understand the unemployment rate went to 3500 – 4000 people I like to think the Government does deserve some credit for trying to keep unemployment to a certain level… recognizing that Bermuda doesn’t export anything…”
Asked the OBA’s plan to create 2000 jobs, Mr Furbert said: “If the OBA is saying they can create 2,000 jobs…..have they been holding off on jobs all this time while the PLP has been on power?
“You have to ask yourself this question. Because how all of a sudden can we create 2000 jobs as we have a new party in place. That’s scary.”
Mr Furbert said: “There is a party that formed, been here 15 months, don’t have no platform, you don’t know where they will take the country, and all of a sudden they are in power.”
Seriously… you can’t speak English, you’re a sore loser and you have nothing constructive to say ever… The BIU really should consider removing you from your post!
couldn’t agree more. perhaps mr furbert missed the memo — the negative rhetoric is not welcome. we move forward TOGETHER. we work TOGETHER. and giving the government CREDIT for the unemployment rate just shows how much he doesn’t understand. if he truly doesn’t think the OBA will govern well, he should stand down from the BIU and let someone who CAN work alongside govt. stand in his place.
Totally agree with your sentiments. One cannot look forward to the future if one is constantly looking back at the past.
We ALL need to work together, live in the “here and now” and learn to forgive. Forgiveness is a powerful thing…be the better person and let go of past hurts. Obviously, you learn from these experiences. But hanging on to past hurts does nothing to improve one’s situation and it hinders what could be SO GOOD in one’s life.
@ 75 and sunny, forgot to address.
Bitter and irrelevant, unaccountable and dumb. The worst 1970s Socialism…call it a day Chris, it’s a brave new world, and we are all glad you won’t be a part of it.
The days of the past are over, please let us look out for the future,we have had enough of Lavern and Chris, we all need to move on …the young people have had enough of the hate that certain talk show hosts allow to spew their hatred…and we all know who these two are…The only talk show worth listening to is The Shirley Dill Show.
You think?
PLP should have had a better campaign hands down and they should have educated the people of Bermuda about the bailout and what it means to the unemployment rate. You cannot discredit the OBA for having a better campaign.
4 ALL YOU HATERS THE BIU WILL BE STRONGER THEN EVER WITH THE UBP BACK IN CHARGE. WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO PULL SOME $#IT ON ONE OF THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. CHRIS ALL THEY DID WAS MAKE YOU STRONGER AND THE FOOLS DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE IT. THE OBA BETTER KEEP THEIR PROMISES. THE PEOPLE WILL NEED THE BIU MORE THEN EVER NOW.
Unions work when the Union backs workers that are in the right. For too long this Union has supported workers that were in the wrong. It is a poor union with a poor leader.
I believe this just as I believe the Myan calendar! Get over ya friggin selves!
If you can’t get your members out to vote PLP, then you won’t get them out to strike when they are hurting financially – the BIU can’t pay them if they are on strike – Jackass!
Also, this the sorry PLP might have let you get away with crap, but this time jail and fines for illegal strikes! No PLP government bail outs so you better have the money to pay for your crazy making bull—t!
@BIU4eva …and then you woke up! Stronger than when? When it was strong in your sense of the word, it closed down every major hotel practically! Now the membership is all in a worse position so is the Union, but we will never know cuz you wont be posting the financials as mandated by law, will you?
So keeping promises or keeping current with the law, it’s actually your move mate.
@ BIU Forever?
Pull some SH#@T you say: Like trying for firesomeone for driving a Ferryboat under the influence and crashing it into a dock?
Or maybe you mean Bus dsrivers on crack
Or maybe you are talking about bus drivers refusing to take a substance abuse test after an accident.
Or maybe you are talking about the countlesss illegal strikes.
The people of this country are tired of the BIU BS. They have bbeen getting away with murder and bullying the people of this country and our visitors for years with their selfish actions.
You have NO support from most of us. You my friend are a fool for trusting and supporting an institution with your money that was 10+ years behind in their financials. YOu have no idea if your money is being used and invested properly.
Not to worry, Chris is clearly such a deep intellectual pool, reflected by his manner and eloquence, his understanding of finance and his obvious ability to make friends and influence people, he will serve the BIU and the people well! (sound of hysterical laughter…holding gut….rolling in the aisle!)
That’s really going to help us as country. Us and them. That’s what got us into trouble in the first place. How about WE. We are all in this together. We all count. We all make a differnce. How about a country of WE. Us and them just doesn’t work.
Do you know how much the BIU spent on itself and what it spent on it’s members in 2008/9? The numbers are horrendous.
Read Here:
During 2008/9, the union had a total income of $2.89 million, and total expenditure of $3.56 million, with an overall deficit of $663,994.
Throughout that year, the union collected $2.05 million from its members, down from $2.20 million the previous year. The number of members dropped from 3,953 in January 2009 to 3,855 in December 2009.
It spent $1.57 million on salaries of paid officers during 2008/9, and another $1.57 million on other expenses of management.
A further $2,002 went on sickness pay to members, as well as $1,571 superannuation pay, $3,600 education benefits and $15,002 unemployment and other benefits.
*Continuing*
So while you praise the BIU, they’re paying themselves hundreds of thousands of YOUR dollars per year while only giving out $20,000 to its members. WAKE UP!!!
damn ur such an uneducated idiot
CAPS LOCK 4 EVER HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I admire your enthusiasm.I have been involved with unions since 1972. Make no mistake about it, this BIU is NOT a union. It is an ‘association’ led by an individual who does not understand the job of union president.The so called ‘union membership’ is afraid of their leader.One more change is needed in order to truly go forward in this country, it is the replacement of this man.A new agenda of training and giving more qualified employees to employers because they are union.Attitude goes from the top down. I guess that explain a few things, doesn’t it.
@BIU 4 ever
Couldn’t have said it better myself!!! Unbearable to listen to him even talk.
I hear there’s a fire on Court Street. Smoke, arks, etc. I think Chris just self-combusted.
I could not have said it better.
I will add however that Furbert seems to be living in a solo world of assumed dictatorial power which excludes knowledge of what is realistically going on (a) in lovely Bermuda or (b) in the rest of the western world – esp regarding unions and the economy.
His existence and response to current situations is a re-run of years past. I encourage Furbert to (1) read (2) examine what is going on in our world economically and like the voters decided (3) make an informed decisions based on fact(s) not emotive rhetoric. At least he is good at that.
I am speechless.
Bury the hatchet man and get on board to turn our economy around!
Wow, this man continues to redefine stupid.
You’re damn right!
Does the BIU have any other spokes person that can speak English? First of all government cannot create jobs. Jobs are created by entrepreneurs with the vision of doing something and governments’ role is to get out of the way and let them do it, providing it is a legal enterprise. Unions had their hay day in years past, now, they only hinder progress.
I heard Michigan past a worker rights bill that now means you are not required to join a union if your work place is unionized. We need that hear, we will see just how many truly want to be lead by CF.
I agree the government doesn’t however create the actual job. They need to change policy and simply move out of the way. However, Bermudians must be first choice for jobs and when there is an expat hired it should be firmly stated in their contract that as part of their employment they must train another Bermudian. We must work together. Both parties have good ideologies.
When the foreigners come back (which they will thanks to the OBA). We do not want to have inflated rent and housing or else we will be back to square one. We need to fix the root cause of why are economy crashed in the first place.
This leech is seeing the end of the gravy train. How will losers like him manage in an era of accountability? I can’t wait to see.
Billy. Chris Furbert has always been an angry man,he does not speak very well…and I think there should be a change in the unions leadership and the sooner the better.
CF forgets that the OBA did tell them how to create job. Be nice to business and stop chasing away IB…. Good lord help us with this clown leading our workers. Come on BDA time to bring in another change to help us move forward…
The most workers out of work in Bermudas modern history and he’s happy with that wow speechless and secondly why is a union leader. …z licking up to a government party very strange and unprofessional I guess he thought he could wangle his way to be premier …… Hell no!
First of all. Why are you affiliating yourself with ANY PARTY. You should be promoting open choice to your Union Workers, RIGHTS to vote FOR WHO YOU WISH TO VOTE FOR.
With all the workers who pay your salary: do you think they want to see their boss cry about who won the election. SUCK IT UP.
Secondly, OBA BEEEEEN RELEASED A PLATFORM! I’m sure you sat there and said “Bie, I aint readin dat!” and you know why….because you are so obsessed with the PLP.
YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT THIS ISLAND OR YOUR WORKERS! You are a sad little man who needs to give up his position. Go be unemployed, cuz we allllllllllll KNOW, without the UNION JOB, YOU AIN’T NOTHINGGGGGGGG MATE!
little baby….
Well said , as a Union man (not BIU) I can’t agree more . How dare he try and sway union members to vote for his party. This is a free country , and we are more than capable of making our own decisions. Please don’t let this man influence your opinion on unions , some of them are very responsible and absolutely necessary to protect the rights and benefits of the men and women who keep this country running . If it was up to the corporate folk we would all be on minimum wage with no sick leave or vacation , and probably HIP insurance at best . We all know business is here to make a profit , but there is a huge difference between profit and outright GREED. I believe this world recession was constructed by the elite to crush unions and take away all benefits they can legally get away with . How can you drive around in a BMW , own multiple houses , and have more money than your children’s children will spend then tell workers you can’t afford to pay em a little extra when they can hardly keep their households afloat? I’ll tell you why ……Sheer unadulterated GREED
He is the best poker player this island has ever seen, or so he thinks. LOL.
LudaChris….I guess yur foamin cuz yur government bailout is on-hold and sure to be denied….you betta raise tha rate of them union dues bie cuz yur in trouble…you think Mr. Russell is a pain in yur azz? Jus wait to yur membership realize how low you’ve sunk that organization
No Platform and the still beat you! If just the independents were running they would have beat you – people had enough! All the GP cars – hell just shutting them down will save millions. Arrogant lot to think you are entitled to be returned – Earn it.
This guy will be fearing for his own life in a year or two nevermind his future after the BIU members release just how much he has swindled out of their pockets.
Won’t have any bailout to save him this time.
Congratulates them for winning…then says they did not win. Thinks the opposition is responsible for job creation. “Don’t have no platform”…..ain’t got no basic English and an open lie.
P.s. How about those financial statements?
Coming soon….Laverne the defender.
Lavern ,will be on the “peoples show” and the host wil kiss a__ as he always does to this women….for some reason this host is afraid of her connections…maybe his boss…what a joke this radio host has become…
his party lost the election…the talk show hosts that is…
Dear Mr. Furbert,
Please release audited financials as requirred by law. Dispensing some Union funds to the unemployed would also show you walking the walk.
Both would lend some credibility.
Regards,
Shelta
Well, I think he was hoping HIS party would win and therefore he did not need to provide said reports. Now, I think he is scared as he has to provide said reports.
You are probably very right! Plus he can’t threaten the OBA as he did with the PLP . . . Terry Lister was the only one who stood up to him and the Cogg just proved she was a cogg and fired Lister and in the long run I believe her coggness hurt her at the polls too!
You know what I hear?? I hear a sore loser that is realising that he will no longer have the support of the PLP holding employers hostage over his crazy actions. He has hurt Bermuda more than he has helped it and he needs to be given walking papers immediately. Unions can be good but he has ruined that for the people of Bermuda and no one benefits from his radical actions and ideas. He needs to go back under the rock he crawled out from.
Why not give other people a chance to turn this country around and hopefully make it a better place? Obviously the PLP could not handle the task and I am not saying the OBA can either because we have not seen what they can do yet but they deserve a chance just like the PLP did 15 years ago. People need to start taking accountability for their actions and get this country back on track. It baffles me how some PLP supporters and politicians are confused as to why they were voted out of power. Hello wake up and smell the onions…you destoryed this country and now you must pay. Good bye.
“don’t have no platform”…
Wow. Why should people trust or listen to your opinion, facts or figures when you cannot even speak proper english?
bye no bye, inna doe….dat bye canneen say NUFFIN dat makes no sense… he should just go long….
seriously though. he should. it’s just his type of thinking that got us into trouble in the first place. and i do hope there is a call for transparency where the BIU is concerned. i am sure if the union members had any idea of what he’s been up to, he’d be out looking for a new job. maybe he doesn’t know what audited financials are?
I remember reading some very substantial platorm documents made available to the public on this website and elsewhere.
This means he did not read them!!!!!!!!!
So how can he comment blindly……BECAUSE HE IS BLIND. Blind to what does not serve his self interest. Disgusting.
Chris clearly can’t speak proper English so I doubt he can read it properly.
I wonder what he must feel like to be so despised by an entire country? And a government who challenges itself to provide 2000 jobs is scary? I’d suggest your continued existence, constant bickering and complaining is scary, if not totally annoying!
Who gives a shit what the turn out was for a general election in 1993? 1998? 2003? 2007?
The people who stayed home and didn’t vote exercised their right to not vote. They had a choice and they made it.
Let’s move forward shall we?
you are stupid
Chris I don’t know why you constantly put yourself out there like that….while you are speaking the truth (you are not the only one saying this as I have heard it SEVERAL times on the talk shows) no one is going to “hear” you as they will digress and instead comment on your diction, on the union and other off topic subjects…
What part is true?
The whole of Bermuda is wondering why he puts himself out there. This has nothing to do with a labour issue. Perhaps it has to do with him losing his money from being on a Tourism board and other committees etc. and he is BITTER.
Ps Furbert show us the financials for 2011 and the Credit Union.
Jt without getting into debate each of the points that Chris mentioned have been on the talk shows so in essence he is sayingv nothing new. I’ve heard them on Everest show in the afternoon, on Lopes early morning show, Bootsie show in the morning. People that have called in have spoken about the supposed 2000 jobs (where are they and IF they’re indeed available why haven’t they been made available all this time, why the promise of “IF WE GET IN” will we make them available? Bribe to get votes? They’ve spoken of low turn out and it’s impact on the election and we know that to be true. They are (in their own words) a “NEW” Party and it’s true although they have been voted in we dont know where they are going to take us. Yes they have promised a brighter day but no one, not even the OBA knows what the future holds as nothing in life is guaranteed.
Chris, (like everyone else) is entitled to his opinion….I have just noticed that from past commentary he is always subjected to PERSONAL attacks……
Until he is held accountible for his wildcat stikes and his bullying of a nation, using intimidation tactics….he will be a hated and despised man.
If you are in his union, go look at his house, go see what he has taken from you. Who is looking after who???
Where is his house?
I want to take a look.
I cosign these statements. While I usually don’t agree with everything Mr. Furbert says the points that he is making have been echoed not just on all the talk shows but within many conversations that I have had. contrary to the outcome of the election people are very skeptical as to where these 2000 jobs are going to come from and why they haven’t been made available all this time. I guess time will tell.
Goodness gracious. You are referring to jobs like they are ping pong balls in a box on the top shelf of a closet that have been hidden. What a farce.
The simple point is this — PLP anti-business policies have led to job losses and have stifled job creation. I’m an employer, I know this.
Through proactive policy and reversing the terrible policies of the PLP, the OBA is saying that those policies will be a catalyst for new investment by the private sector and more jobs.
Look no further than the increase in payroll tax and the moratorium on work permits in certain sectors. Do I need to draw you a map?
He wasn’t “speaking the truth”. As usual, it was a bunch of self-serving nonsense. He’s p.o.’d because the free handouts to the union, for nothing, have come to an end. The country doesn’t want to be run that way any more.
And everything you hear on these “talk shows” is gospel???
Talk shows are for entertainment only, just to hear how amazingly stupid a lot of people are.
It’s a good thing the MUTE, Volume DOWN, Channel , Last channel, numbers (1 – 0) and Power OFF buttons were all invented! They sure come in handy…
I’m eating KFC and looking at the BIU leader speak. The food is delicious!
Touche!
Anyone who wants to follow this bitter selfish, greedy, power maniac needs to take a good and listen to what he is saying.
He will do no good for this country, if this country suffers, you suffer. If you pay Union dues, please redirect them by electing for them to go to a charity of your choice. Those people need the money. Take a good look at his house and property, he has earned off your backs. Your money has paid for it.
Time to wake up !
@ Blurt,
If you really want to go down that road, lets look at government over the last 20 years, and see who has earned what off whose back.
I like many don’t really have much to say about Mr. Furbert, but if you are going to start pointing fingers as to who earned what on whose back, let’s open up the books, and look at how both the PLP as well the UBP handled business. I expect us to find some shady deals that went down under the plp, the same way deals were made under the ubp. Lets come clean 360 degrees, so going forward, this does not happen again. This is the change we need.
Perhaps there would have been a higher turnout (70% is still massive by international standards and only down 5% from 2007) if the PLP had allowed absentee ballots for university students and those living overseas or had Paula not called the election for December Holiday season.
Oh wait, I wonder what party THAT higher turnout would have benefited, clearly not the PLP…
Hey Bro Chris, the 60′s called and they want their Cadre flag back.
“We never asked the PLP for any favours” !! Is he ‘aving a larf?
No favors?? Who forgave a $6,000,000 Berkeley project over run penalty?
So the PLP lied or Chirs lied….Come on one of you is a liar. If it hasn’t been forgiven, please pay the money you are legally contracted to pay. Chris reckons the PLP are liars, by his words
Will someone please tell this man that he can’t and shouldn’t talk to the media until he learns how to speak ENGLISH!
His opinion is worth pennies and is one of the reasons the PLP lost the election. Old thinking, closed eyes, tunnel vision, and thinking that we will all vote for our “family”. Tell me how that all worked out for you Brother Chris?!
When will the BIU membership get smart and get rid of this man or at the very least get a spokesperson?! You mean to tell me that there is no one else who can speak better in that organization? And if that is so, perhaps the BIU should close its doors. The membership deserves someone with some intelligence or at least knows how to articulate their views. Wow!
Well they do have LaVerne, she had better diction, but her thoughts are just as radical as his.
Still everybody else’s fault except the PLP and BIU’s. Mr. Furbert, the people have spoken whether you like it or not.
Mr Furbert
you are a very misguided individual and we can only hope that as this country has done so will the BIU , it is time for change. The days of spouting pure nonsense and getting any attention needs to stop, explain why anyone of the media would give him the time of day.It is only a matter of time before full disclosure will be demanded, Mr Furbert i really expect a new President in place soon and finally someone who will look after the members interests.
It has to be a matter of time
Hope so!
Whats sad is that you all sound like sore winners! If you truly wanted to move forward then why would you reply with a negative? set an example because your opinions are not the only ones out here! What a sad indictment that you all do not still know how to get ahead without stampin and standing on top of others! Guess you just can’t live without the rhetoric afterall! Your true colours are showing all of you above! Moving forward under your terms will definitely be a challenge with the examples shown so far, ..I await an intelligent response…Afterall we are all still livin on this rock together like it or not..
United We Stand Divided we Fall.
The country needs to be united of the Country will fall!
We must all work together. This isn’t about a small group of workers, this is about a nation that has been beaten up by a government with zero accountibility and needs to pick itself up and move forward together as one.
We are Bermuda, we are one. Be a part of something bigger or be a dead weight on your own future.
@ Blurt,
Just a real questions brother or sister. Honestly, when were we really all together as one Bermuda? I am 33, and as long as I have been alive, I have known there was a divide in this country. Have you?
You await an intelligent response?
How about you address the message? How about you defend Furbert.
Nope. you pick on the messenger. This is why the PLP lost.
WHAAAAAA…..WHAAAAAAAA….WHAAAAA….HIC..HIC…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA…..WHAAAAAA…..WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A little witty ditty, sung to the tune of, Santa Clause is coming to town.
He’s making a list,
He’s checking it twice !
He’s gonna find out,
Who’s naughty or nice !
Can non ire is coming to town !
You better start deleting,
You better start shredding,
You better get a good lawyer,
I’m telling you why,
Can non ire is coming to town !
He knows an auditor general,
He knows a forensic auditor,
He knows an accountant general,
I just hope it’s not too late !
You better not pout,
You better not cry,
I’m telling you why,
Can non ire is coming to town
ignorant fool…… an embarrassment to himself and the union he supposedly represents. produce union financials to show the membership how useless you are
Wow, he’s just made himself look even more stupid on News 9.
How much money you want to bet this idiot will try to get the snake Derrick Burgess into the leadership position?
Maybe if the BIU could collect on that loan they made to to PHC, they’d be able to take care of their members.
Mumbles should have a talk with that deadbeat president at PHC and get that loan repaid.
Can someone teach Chris Furbert how to pronounce the word “Government”? Last time I checked “gov-e-mint” is not a word. Shake my damn head. It just shows how articulate he is. He is in my prayers.
Furbert you must be one dum — OBA won the election because people are tired of the PLP’s Bull S#it. Nothing was handed to them they won it. So get on with your job and shut up.
Mr Furbert said: “If the OBA is
saying they can create 2,000
jobs…..have they been holding off on
jobs all this time while the PLP has been
on power?
“You have to ask yourself this question.
Because how all of a sudden can we
create 2000 jobs as we have a new party
in place. That’s scary.”
No you livid ass they are not gonna give people the jobs themselves the OBA want to implement a system to create more employment on the island. OMG this fool is the head of the BIU that’s scary. “Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”?
This clown needs to take a long cruise on board the ship of fools what an embarrassment to the cpuntry ,We Bermudians are not stupid we require people in leadership roles to at least speak English .
What a flippin lunatic! Well, I guess I would be off my meds too if I saw my promised union payoff from that crazy throne speech dissapear with the PLP loss of power. No more friends and family plan Chris! You couldn’t bully your members into turning up to the polls. They were fed up with the PLP and are probably just as fed up with you! Take a note from the election. Next Union election – you are out on your backside too! Good riddance!
All I see here is a fully grown man-baby with a rattle and pacifier, crying and screaming because he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and his overprotective mother isn’t around anymore to make excuses for him.
The man’s brain is a three-ring circus, complete with juggling grizzly bears riding unicycles and clowns throwing coconut cream pies at each other.
What a disingenuous brat.
Love it … though better to just ignore him and he might go away. People like him love to be in the spotlight however stupid they appear.
LOL! I agree with you. In fact I have a better description for the man’s brain than “a three ring circus” (complete with the dictionary meaning and PRONOUNCIATION —- just in case!!!)
He has an “infinitesimal brain”….
Definition of INFINITESIMAL (in-fi-ni-tes-eh-mal)
1
: taking on values arbitrarily close to but greater than zero
2
: immeasurably or incalculably small
only reason why the oba can create its approximated new jobs is cause them UBP wangsters who are masking themselves under a new banner is got all the damn wealth n rights in bda… sure gibbons co, bda motors, colonial, & the whole of front street and wherever else these mofos own are gonna offer up the new 2000 LOW PAYING JUST TO SAY YOU HAVE A JOB to 1990 blacks & the 6 white people 4 portuguese that lost their jobs … people need to realize that the oba waited for your vote to release jobs.. this kinda thing is called ransom… and they wanna offer bda jobs not just career building jobs but jobs that are sooooooo belittling to the people that accept them cause it goes to show you how they think of you.. ur only good enough to clean office desk or assist people as they walk thru the door… ur not good enough to implement a training system of all sorts jobs like an ITT tech of some sort and get people polished to jobs that having meaning and promote development and growth in any field trade expertise… no u lot just want jobs… go beg for money on the corner if thats the case
This guy needs to learn how to talk, sounds like a retard………lmao….His grammer is not good at all.
All I say is a change is as good as a rest. Get over it Mr. Furbert and give the OBA a chance
He’s a joke and he’s scared that he now has someone to answer to, where as before he did and said what he pleased. Mr. Furbert needs to realize that there’s a new sherriff in town that Bermuda voted in. Get over it Furbert, no one wants to hear negative banter. Bermuda is now all about moving forward TOGETHER. ONE LOVE NOT HATE!
Prediction
Bus strike at the start of the cruise ship season
CF. will obey his PLP masters and find every little reason to call wild strikes.
And if so, those wildcat strikers should be let go and the union fined if that is what the law says. Too much of that union just doing whatever it chooses to do without any consequences. Its time for a change there as well.
For those who remember..when the UBP held all of St.Georges, the Union became so militant at the hotel on the hill, that nobody could or would continue working it and Club Med were last to quit Bermuda after Loews and Holiday Inn. The workers ssaid the Union did this to punish the voters in StGeorges for voting UBP.
Let’s see what the Union comes up with to hinder the OBA on behalf of the new Opposition. This time you have been warned!
Chris is sweating!
Soon the BIU books will be checked out and bye bye!
Now that the “we have come to save the day OBA” has come into power, it is my hope that we will soon be saved from reading all the rhetoric and hatred we’ve been subject to recently. The things said about the former premier, the former government and even my *friend* Mr Furbert are just plain rude and horrible. I’ve had enough of it and hopefully once the new government gets up and running, persons will have many more positive things to say. Unless *gasp* the OBA and its ‘white horse’ breaks a leg!!
@Save The Day OBA: You’ve had enough of it? Well stop reading it. And go cry somewhere else.
If you wish to stop hearing rude and horrible things, please ask your friend Mr Furbert to stop talking and step down for the sake of the union, the country and the continued advancement of humanity.
Once they get rid of Furbert then I will re-join B.I.U. and also I’m waiting for them to strike again Privatisation here it comes LMBO!!!
Grammer 101 Mr Furbert
*grammar
How can he say the BIU is dissapionted was that message sent by the members,he certainly has no respect for the electorate or seemingly the process itself…. This country will never move forward with negative people like Chris thankfully you are in the minority….. Chris you make almost 140K if a worker has been in the BIU for 40 years and have lost his job all there is for that worker is 100 plus dollars for 6 weeks period, full stop. Have you ever thought maybe you can take a cut so such a worker may have a bit more to help through hard times? You obviously do not respect the process or the electorate which includes BIU members, however Bro aint sheet music you can do about it, the people of this country voted for change and that’s that…. You should be glad for someone to be mooting job creation, however it shows you have only the interest of a political party at heart and not the interest of the membership or moreso the country.
Chris Furbert is an idiot and irrelevant. I am black and a PLP supporter and consider him a complete fool. Why is he always so angry?
So how much of what he says is actually the voice of the union membership, and how much is the script from his PLP masters.
I don’t know what he was doing over the last month, but I read the PLP’s platform and all 3 parts of the OBA’s and found the OBA’s to have more details and less fluff wording than the PLP’s. As usual, CF sees and hears only what he wants to hear to make him feel still relevant in a world that is passing him by as it moves forward with progress.
Brother Chris – you can’t bluff this hand. See you in Vegas. Too bad your followers won’t have that same luxury.
Typical – things are always the opposite from what Mr Furbert claims. He says that the PLP voters have let down the party whereas in reality it is the party that has let down the PLP voter.
The voters have sent the PLP a message and as usual they would shoot the messenger. Old habits die hard!
Maybe the people stayed at home because the PLP put a bad taste in their mouth about trust and respect.
So the PLP receives praise for only having 4,000 people unemployed, yet the OBA is criticized for suggesting they will help create 2,000 jobs. Hahaha. Brother Chris, not everyone is as dumb as you are, or as easily deceived as your disciples are.
The OBA won the election, fair and square. You seem to have a problem with democracy – that’s very strange given the nonsense you spout in your role at the BIU. Does the term ‘double standards’ mean anything to you?
Please brush up on your grammar – in addition to what has been posted above, let me quote you – “800 more jobs would have went”, and “Unemployment could have went to 20%” – it’s “would have gone” Brother Chris, not “would have went”.
Well I’m sorry that your bubble has been burst. Bermuda has clearly spoken and the politics of racial division, the “us and them” mentality that you peddle is no longer welcome. Let me finish with a quote from Bob Dylan – “Your old road is rapidly agin’/ Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand/For the times they are a-changin’”.
You get what you pay for. Well in the case of the Unions you don’t get what you pay for.
As unemployment insurance, you completely overpay with no clear defined benefit (invest it for a rainy day would have crushed the sunk cost of dues). Collective bargaining doesn’t work in deflation because you can either be replaced or your employer shuts down or downsizes, and during inflation, someone else wants to hire you for more in most cases anyway. So who benefits from unions? Union management! There members should form a union to deal with them
Somebody’s upset their money tree is now dead….and he may have to provide financial statements…
Well Bermuda, Mr. Furbert has spoken yet again and yet again successfully put his credibility as a qualified leader on any level into doubt.
Mr. Furbert. With the challenges facing the union around dwindling membership, lack of good governance, incomplete financial records and your own admission in the “press conference”, and I use that term loosely, that you have an incomplete account of what the current state of the Stevedoring dispute is, to name a few. I really wonder how you find time to call a “press conference”. A “press conference” mind you, that in the end seemed not to be on the behalf of the BIU and its membership, but more on your own behalf to sadly cry out personal views on the election results.
What really amazes me is that you miss so many points with your one sided view…. Mr. Furbert did you ever stop to think that the lower turnout and people not voting (which is also their right to do so) was in part due to the fact that they could no longer vote for the government of the day, or that perhaps the government could have turn people away by various actions, or that one’s beliefs could be aligned with a different philosophy other than that of the PLP?
To squarely put the election lost on those that did not vote is, for most logically thinking people, ridiculous. Are you so blinded or perhaps misguided, that you have not seen the issues of the island. I supported the PLP in the last election as did many others, but the time has come were folks no longer vote for a party “just because”. People want effective leaderships, good governance and a sense of security for themselves, their families and the island as a whole and when they believe that this is not happening, they have the right to vote for change.
Let’s look at this realistically, for the OBA to win they had to receive not only votes from their own supporters but also votes from PLP supports. The reverse of this statement would have also have been true in previous elections when the PLP defeated the UBP. This “choice”, whether to vote or not to vote, whether to vote OBA, PLP or independent is what democracy is all about. I have spoken to many people who this time voted for the OBA that in the past voted otherwise.
What I find interesting but also thought provoking are some of the statements that you have made in your tirade. Clearly, you really did not think about these before saying them as they within themselves provide reasoning to the blame you have placed at the feet of the non-voters.
For example, you said “There is a party that formed, been here 15 months, don’t have no platform, you don’t know where they will take the country, and all of a sudden they are in power.” This statement alone should have provided you with some realization to the fact the people were truly disheartened with the government of the day, so much so, that they would chose such a green party over a long severing party as the PLP. This alone can be said to show just how much people wanted change….
In some ways you actually contradicted your own statements as you mentioned early in your Q&A session that you “heard people where unhappy with the unemployment levels”. Well Mr. Furbert that is at least one reason for the change of government. When I, and many others listened to the press conference we really found it hard to see the relevance behind you having one other than to express personal opinion.
Mr. Furbert, as the leader of the BIU, I would advise you to focus on the running of the BIU and righting that ship. The union faces many challenges in its own right and now more than ever it is time for strong leadership. Focus on that, or you to may find yourself suffering the same fate as the last government, being voted out. Look to united Bermuda instead of dividing with personal tirades held under the cloak of a BIU “press conference” and most importantly develop channels of communication with the new government to assist the needs of your membership. This is a critical time for Bermuda and its people, not only for the current generation, but also future. We have to work together, you can influence so many in your position, try leading with principles of good governance and inclusion instead of personal agendas and divisiveness.
Democracy does not mean you have to vote, merely you have the choice to vote or not. Had the people who didn’t vote, presumably for the PLP, voted OBA the PLP may well have lost even more seats, so Chris Furbert should be thanking them, not rebuking them.
Ringmaster, Everyone agrees with you. It would have been a landslide victory for the OBA.Don’t be surprised if the PLP loose more seats next election, and independents start getting in.
Don`t you get it Chris Furbert, nobody cares about you and your school boy rants. Go back to school and take an “ENGLISH” class. Why are you still leader of the BIU when you cannot grasp change. Time for you to step down, Bermuda is tired of your useless mouth !! You are a non-performer.
Mr. Furbert makes a couple of excellent points. For example, voter turn out was lower than in previous elections and, let’s face it, the OBA has only been in existence for 15 months and has been constantly lambasted by PLP propaganda for being a re-constituted UBP. But, of course, the truth is that the PLP has lost the trust of the public to the point where they have lost power to a brand new party.
Sadly, Mr Furbert completely fails to grasp the fact that term limits were and are a major turn off for our lifeblood – international business – and it was the PLP’s stubborn refusal to accept this reality that has resulted in the steady exodus of these same businesses. If our new Government holds fast to their promise to hold a moritorium on the Term Limit rule and it results in 2,000 new jobs being created, I wonder if he will finally realize that it wasn’t a conspiracy by business people to “hold off on jobs” in order to make the PLP look bad. It was the PLP that failed to listen and be proactive.
It is always exceptionally difficult for a political party to accept that fact that it is there own failure to move with the times that results in losing power. It happened to the UBP in 1998, and it just happened with the PLP on 17th December 2012.
New captains in charge of a ship that is fast sinking..but they can bail faster than the previous crew? Still a lot of pain will be felt as government revenues from taxes are down and expenses remain high…
tax cuts and concessions will put a further strain on revenue. employee salaries/wages, and employee related costs are the largest expense items of the government.
talk of creating 2000 jobs….well in truth we would all love to see that..but the current environment doesnt suggest that will happen any time soon.
out with the old (furbert) in with the new (someone with brains)
Double negatives
I squirm when he speaks…please have someone leading the BIU who has good grammar and diction but more than anything – some common sense. Always angry and spewing fire and threats…bully boy tactics. When will he learn that no strong economy means no work for his membership. We need to move forward and work TOGETHER and without the management style he has….perhaps he needs to do an anger management course first
I heard Mickey Mouse wears a Chris Furbert wrist watch!!
“Im MAD as HELL, & I’m NOT going to take it anymore!”
Regardless of who is in power, shouldn’t the Union always maintain a neutral position publicly?
Yes They should use the power of their membership to get the best for their members from whoever is in power.
Can somebody please stop and spare a thought for Chris F please? Imagine how devastating this is for him.
1. The OBA won – not his PLP.
2. He may well be forced to provide financials to this new Government.
3. He won’t get the grant that PLP promised him.
4. His own members may actually find out how the Union has mismanaged their money.
5. The Union may go broke.
6. He will be hated by his own people, unemployed, and unemployable.
Now, does that feel better?
This country needs to get rid of this guy, he is poison to progression and poison to our economy and poison to our people.
The BIU need to put someone else in charge who can speak and apply logic instead of mindless ranting.
Union members can show the Union how they feel as well. If Union members are tired of his ploys, tactics, and attitude they can have their weekly dues sent to a charity.
They wouldn’t do that. They enjoy that day or two off. I bet half of the strikers don’t even care, they only reason why they do it is for a day off and hoping that one day when they get caught doing something wrong on the job that the union will have their back. That it.
I was hoping after the elections that contributors to these blogs would be more civil but I was wrong. It is fine to disagree and offer your view but lets keep it civil if indeed we want to move forward together. I certainly do not agree with CF but he is entitled to his view!
Amazed, when he starts listening, we’ll stop writing
I think that was the whole point of low voter turnout. They didnt want to voye for PLP but also didnt want to vote for OBA. While I understand exercising the right to vote is important, voting is a choice and not madatory.
What is scary is that you Mr. Furbert, are the leader of the BIU. That’s scary!
In your words “let me be clear here”, I wouldn’t consider it thinking outside of the box, but rather thinking along the lines of conspiracy theories. Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t seriously be questioning whether or not the OBA is holding out on 2,000 jobs? I am not the least bit surprised you would even spew this type of ignorance.
“How all of a sudden are we going to create all of these jobs all because we have a new party?”
Because now we have a Government that has a plan on how to stimulate the economy to hopefully get us out of the mess we are in and in the process sir, as things start to turn around, jobs will be created! It is not rocket science.
Your whole press conference is a joke. In one breath you are congratulating the OBA (and I have to admit it was a pleasure hearing you utter those words – the resentment and anger in your voice gave me a chuckle. Thank you!) but in the next you can’t even bring yourself to understand that WE have voted, Bermuda has voted for the change we wanted. In no way did the election get handed to the OBA. They won the election plain and simple. It was a close race but in the end OBA was victorious and thank goodness they were. It was time for change. Bring yourself to accept that. It is an embarrassment you can’t especially in your capacity.
Sad to say but this election has done no more then divide the country even more.
Not so.
The PLP’s campaign, however..
Interesting that this time around he blames the PLP loss on low voter turnout but, last time around he didn’t credit low voter turnout for the PLP win.
what this guy says means nothing… he’s the biggest racist in the country and everyone knows it
He is affraid that when they start looking into the books, He along with that foul mouth Laverne will be —— from the people…look out Chris and Laverne the OBA comming for you…….
d ont worry laverne the doc will protect you
Could the BIU be facing bankruptcy?
That could lead to a bailout, and if the govt doesnt do it then people might riot.
Will the BIU be held accountable or the govt in this scenario?
Hey Chris, hi how you doing? We won bra, so that should be it. PLP never got philosophical after they won in 1998, they just celebrated, as they should have.. So don’t look to scold ppl and look for sympathy from voters because they had their say! Now, u have a good Christmas see?
From one union member to our quote unquote leader
Questions! Why do the Media continue to get credence to this man?
Can they not just turn him off?
He apparently is not going to have a Merry Christmas and wants to make everyone miserable.
Chris Furbert is an ignorant embarrasment and should shut up and go. AND… he should take all his clenched-fist arm-in-the-air buddies with him. They are all WELL past their expiry dates and are smelling truly rotten!
I would take a guess that the majority of these comments are written by white people. LOL
Nothing has changed …racism is alive and well but put blacks in front of it. Time will tell. Let’s wait to see how long they stay in power. They are already pissin people off with who they selected for cabinet.
Its assumptions like that that that are so laughable. Why u tryna play the race card? PLP supporters will be pissed off at everything the new govt does, but they’re working for u too, even if u don’t realize it. It’s a new day and it’s One Bermuda now so hopefully we can move forward together for the greater goods