BPSU General Membership Meeting On Friday
The Bermuda Public Services Union [BPSU] will be holding an Emergency General Membership Meeting on Friday [Feb 13] at 5:30pm.
The notice said, “All members of the Union are ordered to attend an Emergency General Membership Meeting on Friday February 13, 2015 at Heritage Worship Centre 59 Dundonald Street Hamilton HM 10 at 5:30 p.m.
“Agenda: Vote on the Office of The President as an elected full time and paid position.”
Never quit your job until you know for sure you have another one.
He’ll get it hands down, who else is got b@lls enough to be on the frontline to fight for the masses.
Bill Hanbury gets over $7,000 a week, FOR WHAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well…
Maintaining our tourism image, plans, projects, advertising and such.
I.E Making sure the vast majority of Bermudians have welcome and eager tourists looking to visit our shores.
I.E Making sure most of us have reasons to have a job!!
Tourism numbers will never get to the point of the 70′s and 80′s, it’s too expensive, stuck up and BORING.
That’s why the Caribbean flourishes, reasonable prices and MORE FUN and flexibility.
And Lord forbid if they get caught with a joint here, their spending money done.
But someone getting paid over $7,000 a week in this economic climate while hearing O.B.A./ubp’ers crying down Government workers for not excepting a FURLOUGH day AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the TWO BERMUDA’S
You mean the “two Bermudas” whereby some understand economics and some dont?
where was this job advertised?
I’m sorry Mockingjay – you advocate that having a joint is okay? I don’t smoke – and honestly don’t care who does – but you advocate people bringing in drugs to Bermuda, even for recreational purposes – and being aghast that they might lose their ‘spending money’ for bringing in drugs??
No I’m not saying its ok, it’s just that, that’s what some people like to do when they visit islands, and most Islands especially in the Caribbean its encouraged and excepted.
I am a union member, and I have the following questions for the current president:
1. Why do you feel the post needs to be full-time? Have the duties from past presidents changed? Are you seeking to capitalize on your new found fame?
2. Where did the suggestion of making the post full time and paid come from?
3. I note that you have resigned from your Civil Service job (and thus, are no longer a union member). When addressing the Union, will you be using the term “we” or “you (sic) lot”?
4. How much will the position be paid?
5. Will my dues increase? And by how much?
6. Why did you announce on Thursday that a meeting will be held at 5:30pm on Friday?
Please advise. Thank you.
Also as the constitution states that in order to be a president of the BPSU you have to me a BPSU member. since you will be unemployed do you actually qualify.
Will you ask at the meeting?
Will the vote be show of hands or ballot?
Jason for President.
The blatant hypocrisy and last minute manoeuvring shown by the BPSU leadership surrounding this matter is very telling. What do the BPSU bye laws say regarding a quorum and notice period for general meetings?
In order for the members to make an informed decision, hopefully they will be provided a full summary of the salary and benefits package being offered for this newly created paid position. It is THEIR money after all.
More importantly, if the leadership is so keen on ensuring their members’ democratic rights are properly protected and they receive value for their hard earned union dues, why give such a short notice period but then throw a wobbly when the Government asks for quick answers?
Do you actually expect the union members to be provided with details of the compensation package so that they can make an informed decision? If so, I’ve got a friend in Nigeria that needs help moving $20 million out of the country and I can give you his contact details.
You can argue about whether or not Hanbury is doing a good job. But what he is doing and, more importantly, what he’s responsible for, is incredibly important to anyone even remotely involved in tourism (that includes anyone that benefits from tourist dollars including hotels, restaurants, taxis, the audit firms that review the financials of any of those people, government because of the taxes they collect (includes payroll taxes of all the people involved in the industry) and so forth)
Wow…..this is the cart before the horse!
Oh, and as a member who is not particularly fond of our President, should I have my happy hour drinks before or after I vote?
Stay home it would be best….
What?? And give up my right to vote that we have all fought so hard for? I sure hope he announces what his pay will be.
Disgusting Trump !
I’d like to commend the BPSU for calling the meeting after the working day has finished.
Credit where credit is due.
Only when it pertains to their own matters.
As a union member this is a joke. You can call an emergency meeting to “Vote on the Office of The President as an elected full time and paid position.” But you could not call a meeting to discuss the furlough days. As are you going disclose his salary?
I’m sure that Furlough days were discussed by Gov’t workers at the end of each pay period for many , many weeks and months … Oh I forgot , it didn’t affect you !
Where was this position advertised?
Go to the meeting and ask.
Oh, I forgot the won’t let you in since you’re not a member!
Go to the meeting and ask.
Oh, I forgot they won’t let you in since you’re not a member!
She just said she is a union member… How does it not affect her?
Coffee no there were not discussed at the end of each pay period wiht my division. Yes my division had furloug days, but no meeting was held to discuss the furlough since two years ago. This meeting that was called on that Monday last was a missrepresentation of the unions. They had thier own agenda and were setting the workers up. How could one hold a meeting on Union Square. How did they think things would be setteled. What they felt that the talks with government were finish, they should have involved their shop stewards to hold meetings with their various departments to obtain some ideas of how to cut back. All shop stewards should of had a deadline to support thier members responses and then the union officials should have gone through them and selected the best 10 or 5 and than called a meeting to finalize a solution before they decided to have an unofficial strike. Stop acting like them and bet them at their own game.
The Union Square meeting was the entire union body of the BTUC, this meeting only pertains to BPSU!! Oh mercy you people!
Ah remember, the OBA Government sent a letter to the union needing a response by Monday midday, hence, is why the emergency union meeting was held the next business day in Union Square. There was no time for departmental meetings with our shop stewards and you have the OBA Government to blame for that. Remember the Governmemt and the Union had been in talks prior and no talks on continuing the furlough was discussed until they presented their letter on the Friday. The letter was written in very poor taste.
I recommend the Government take a pay cut and sell off their MP cars to help cut spending.
union had plenty of time to get back to the government on this issue…they had known about it for ages. The Govt finally put a deadline on it, as they needed a response already ! Don’t pretend that they were surprised by the issue.
I totally agree with you Marie. I am also a BPSU member and we did not do proper discussions of the continual/non-continual of the furlough days. And the strikes days of Monday and Tuesday were harmful for our Union because it caused more division than solidarity. There were still hundreds of BPSU members working, hundreds more were at the march, clocked in and went to Cabinet grounds during breaks and lunch. The strikes were premature and ultimately showed our children that conflict resolution is done by force.
Can I ask why voting “on the Office of The President as an elected full time and paid position” is an “emergency”?
Wouldn’t that be a routine thing? Did I miss something?
It’s an emergency because he has already given up his job with the Civil Service. He needs to be paid and after his show during the marches 2 weeks ago, now would be the best time to go for full time pay while his actions are fresh in the minds of his members.
Oh, I didn’t realise he’d given up his CS job. Thanks for explaining.
If you’re him, it feels like an “emergency”. And he is who he cares about.
Why an Emergency meeting?? What is the urgency?? Why is this being voted on prior to the BPSU Delegates Conference on Feb. 20th?? Also why,couldn’t the BPSU negotiate an agreement with government that mirrors the BUT with regard to the President’s proposed full-time post??
No furlough day = increased dues to pay for this position. Govt saves by not filling his post! We should cut out General Secretary position.
Someone wants a paycheck that matches Chris.
Bill Hanbury gets over $7,000 a week, I guess you don’t have a problem with that.
How much does Chris make? Nobody seems to know, not even the members that are being asked to vote on his employment status…at an “Emergency meeting” held at 5.30pm on a Friday…lol That is just too funny. Talk about blind faith.
Hanbury makes too much. I suspect CF does as well.
What makes it an “emergency” meeting. Voting on whether to pay the union president a full time salary is hardly an emergency.
Somebody’s mortgage payment coming due at the end of the month?
This is the first time that I remember the BPSU meeting after work and it’s also on a Friday…curious time to have a vote. I guess they don’t want many people to attend. Will there be a quorum? Very curious indeed.
Are others allowed to put their name forward to become the president?
wow! I didn’t know unions could hold meetings outside of normal business hours. The BIU could take a note of this.
Why is this vote an emergency?
Is this going to be via secret ballot?
Ordered to attend sounds a bit aggressive.
The executive of this union are trying to pull one over its members. Why a meeting at 5.30 on a Friday. They know very well there will not be a satisfactory turnout. It is by design. They know what they did was against the constitution. Ohno u r rite – cart b4 the horse. every other situation we hear from the President “I have to take it to my members” but this time he doesn’t!! Y. This meeting should have long happened.
it did at the delegates conference and everyonce should go to their delegated and find out what was said and what was the outcome
What’s the salary. …and you guys will be paying for it out of YOUR dues…
Just like we’re paying Bill Hanbury $7,000 a week !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe they’ll actually schedule a membership vote on the furlough days and do it by secret ballot rather than show of hands. Maybe the other union bodies will do the same.
Maybe they better hurry up.
The private sector is also funding Hanbury’s salary (which I agree, is way too much).
Union dues will be paying for this position.
I think Union members have a right to know the current finances of their Union and if dues will be increased in the near future. Don’t you?
hope many attend …but doubt it …Friday 5:30pm …pretty calculated what you think
Absolutely. First, no one ‘orders’ me to do anything, except he who signs my paycheck. Secondly, the agenda is ridiculous. This is NOT what I’m paying dues for. They are starting to become the very thing they fight against. Tyrannical, dictatorial, unilateral- can we just form a new union and tell these lot to get lost???
yes yu can under the constitution of bermuda
I would like to offer Bermuda Bistro as a polling station
The unions of this island are a disease.
The Union’s are the membership and I fear they are being misrepresented and duped by leaders that are protecting their individual interests and not the workers.
When retirements and voluntary redundancies start, these jobs will not be available for the next generation.
So, what’s the salary?
Speaking as a union member, if Brother Jason communicated to us last week that he was now taking on the role of president full-time, what is the point of the vote on Friday the 13th at 5:30pm? Maybe it’s just me, but things seem to have happened in the wrong order. The scheduled time does sound very calculating as one can’t expect a large turnout at that time.
I am also curious as to whether this vote will be by secret ballot or not and agree with the comment that “ordered” sounds too aggressive.
He will be work full time for the BTUC not the BPSU.
so if I am hearing you correctly that if he goes full time for the BTUC then he can no longer be the president of the BPSU as the constitution states that the president need to be a BPSU member. and not an associate member.
So there’s a vote to make it look all legal, even though his position has already been announced.
Where was this position adverttised?
What will he be paid?
How much will union dues have to increase?
Clearly you’re not a union member or you wouldn’t need to turn to Bernews to ask these questions.
Since you’re not a member, it’s none of your biz!!!
BPSU…have plenty of yous money to pay him what he deserves! He went to bat for you lot!! TALK IS NOT CHEAP!!! If you don’t want him paid…GO VOTE!
Yes it is time to take my money out of the union and donate to charity. Pronto
Good and give in your BENEFITS and the charity support you.
DREAMER
how much will union dues increase to pay for this guy?
Not if the place of work has a CBA with the Union. That’s why the donation has to be made to avoid a “free ride”.
They would still be entitled to the same sick, ot and holidays etc., but not individual representation.
LOL classic unions, as if most BPSU members have any intention of doing anything but going home after work on a friday. This is a move to avoid people actually showing up to vote because it is already a done deal.
how about the BPSU set a rule that quorum of the entire membership (60%) needs to be in place to even have a vote. Doubt it…
Then they will release the salary, prob 100K or so and say how reasonable it is compared to the BTA salary just released, will use it to rally against the government again. The BPSU is a political body and not a union, shame really, as if we had effective and professional unions in Bermuda our workforce would be educated, professionally developed and protected.
I shall not be “ordered” out of work to attend a vote for a job sorry
This is just amazing. You all complain if a meeting is called during the workday because you can’t get off or your boss wont pay you for the time that you are away, or it disrupts service, then you complain if a meeting is called after hours on a Friday because you just want to go home. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You complain because certain things aren’t done then you complain when it is done. Why is it that the people who are not capable of doing a job or responsible for doing the job always know. how it should be done
Um, here’s the problem. Some of us have kids to pick up from after school programs, etc.- it’s a little more than unfair to expect us to get sitters so that we can vote on something that apparently doesn’t need our vote because it’s done. There’s nothing okay about this. So now I have to miss work anyway- or at least elect to take my lunch hour at four, so that I can go get my child, drop him at- I dunno, a friend’s house? Pay a sitter? So that I can come back into town and attend this meeting I’ve been ‘ordered’ to attend. This is BS.
As a union member you should be ashamed, you sound stupid really. This man had the b@lls to stand up to the government for you, risk his professional career for you, go against his employer for you.
You may not like him for what ever reason but he stood on the front line for everyone. So as a member I appreciate what the president has done FOR ME because you put yourself in the fire and for that I take my hat off to you.
Saying NO is the easiest thing to do.!!!!!!!! What would take balls is recognising what is best for the future of all the civil service jobs and say yes to govt. Now he wants to get paid from the work off your back….. Disgusting.
Seeking retroactive permission for a fait-accompli on Friday at 5.30. Says an awful lot about the character of the person involved. This does not bode well for on-going labour relations
What time will transportation halt?
It shouldn’t.
Transportation are represented by the BIU not BPSU.
Many hospital professionals are represented by the BPSU though. How on Earth can they all just leave at 5.30pm?
Look at all you blind followers. ALL YOUR DUES go to the President. Since we’re on the topic of salaries…HOW MUCH DID/DO YOU MAKE CHRIS FURBURT AND JASON?!?! Similiar to Bill’s salary!
ALL YOU UNION MEMBERS ARE BEING SUCKERED AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IT LMFAOOO!!
50% of our dues already go towards salaries of paid Union positions. How much would Mr. President like to be paid? The arrogance of him to quit his job in anticipation of the members voting to make his position a paid one. I will be voting against this.
Desperation and dictatorial like are 2 words that can sum up this announcement.