The recently ratified agreement which totaled 11 million dollars plus  lump sum payments did not include any monies for several entities including retirees.  Recent AFT retirees are very upset because the 11 million package was insufficient to cover placing them on their 94-95 salary schedule. In fact, the offer did not include increases for night school teachers, coaches stipends, special education stipends, evening program staff and a host of other issues related to salary. Those matters will have to be addressed when the AFT returns to the bargaining table.  Retirees also argue that they should have been included in the lump sum payments. The agreement provided that only those members on the payroll September 1, 2000 would be covered for the lump sum and salary increases. Although the lump sum payment language was based on years of service during the last 5 years this was the only language the parties could reach in order to secure those monies lost during the strike. There was never any intention to accept those monies in lieu of salary increases for 1995-2000. Although we had the right to bargain for wages for those years no such offer was put on the table before the strike or during the strike. It was made very clear before we returned to the bargaining table that any offer would not include retro for those years. That would place us in a position where we would be negotiating for retro”on top” of retro. The 2000-2001 salary schedule will allow all AFT members, retirees, and non-retirees to be on the same playing field on the issue of retro.  In other words, once the 2000-2001 schedule is implemented the retro monies for everyone will stop accruing each pay period.  No one knows when these monies will be paid. We are fully aware that the Legislature must identify sufficient monies to begin to pay over 275 million which is owed to government workers.

        Our AFT retirees are still considered  a part of our organization.  We will need each other to continue the struggle for retro and other issues such as health, labor and the election of individuals who will deal effectively with quality of life legislation. Moreover, last year we amended our constitution to include an AFT Chapter. This language allows for the chairperson to serve as a member of our Building Rep Council. A meeting was called and they selected an interim chairperson but who failed to attend meetings. As long as retro active monies are not paid, retirees [past, present and future] will not receive  the following:

1. Social Security adjustments 
2. Retirement Annuity  adjustments. 

        No matter how hard we tried everyone could not be fed this time. The struggle must continue ... we must now focus our energies to engage the other side... to insure that the plight of working people remains on the top of their agenda.

• Vernelle de Lagarde                President
• Alrid Lockhart                        1st Vice-President
• Sidney Bell                             2nd Vice-President
• Roi Simmonds                        3rd Vice-President
• Valerie Johnson                      4th Vice-President
• Lydia Gumbs                          5th Vice-President
• Clemmie Moses                      Recording Secretary
• Rubye Tisdale-Todman            Corresponding Secretary
• Richard Brown                        Treasurer

 On Sunday February 25, 2001 at a lavish luncheon at Elysian Beach Resort, Paraprofessional Mrs. Mavis Samuel was feted at a luncheon in her honor. Mrs. Samuel was hailed by her co-workers(2nd family members) as a loving dedicated and committed individual. Everyone who spoke cited her capacity to help others in numerous ways. Additional, Mrs. Samuel demonstrated her love to the children at Bertha C. Boschulte by teaching them “traditions of our past” on the coal-pot. 

During the ceremony Mrs. Samuel was showered with gifts by her co-workers who recognized her as a mother, friend and loving co-worker. It was indeed wonderful to see so much love and recognition bestowed upon this lovely person, “stated President Glen J. Smith.

 The Bertha C. Boschulte Steel Orchestra provided entertainment for this auspicious occasion. They performed magnificently under the direction of Mr. Liston “Matey” Sewer. 

        Article XVIV: “Any member who crosses an AFT strike line in violation of a bona fide general membership strike vote (taken in accordance with previous Article) shall be fined 1 day pay for each day of violation.  Any member who fails to compensate the Federation within 5 working days after the strike ends shall be taken to Small Claims Court to meet their obligation to the Federation.”

• -Credit Card

• -Secured Credit Card

• -Accidental Death & Disability Insurance

• -Loan Program/Home Equity

• -Life Insurance

• -Legal Service

• -Mortgage & Real Estate

• -Dental & Vision

• -Health Savings

• -Education Loans

• -Motor Club

• -Family Savers

• -Car Rental Discounts

• -Flower Service

• -Union-Made Checks

• -Disney/Theme Park Discounts

Over the past several months, my office has been inundated with requests for dates to commence negotiations for wage re-openers and/or successor collective bargaining agreements.  Please be advised that your requests have not fallen on deaf ear.  To the contrary, the Government of the Virgin Islands is presently working to develop a holistic and systematic plan aimed at addressing all outstanding issues relative to organized labor.  To that end, I respectfully ask for your continued patience and understanding.

As Governor Turnbull indicated in his State of the Territory Address, the U.S. Department of Interior, recently appointed CORE International Inc., a very dynamic Washington based management consulting firm, to assist with the formulation of a comprehensive labor strategy.  I am please to announce that the process has recently begun.  In the very near future, CORE will be back in the Territory to meet with all of the players-including organized labor.  We have made it absolutely clear that your input is vital in achieving a solution to the myriad of truly vexing labor issues.

Our only hope for resolving the highly complicated and extremely costly labor issues, which severely threatens the future of our homeland is through understanding and meaningful compromise.  We will continue to keep you informed as to the status of the analysis that is being done, and will contact you to schedule meetings.  

I was surprised to learn from a press release issued by the Office of the Governor via the Office of Public Relations that, “following a meeting on Wednesday, February 7, 2001 with Glen Smith of the AFT, Director of Personnel Joanne V. Barry, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull, Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds and key members of their staff a distribution schedule was finalized.”

I think that we have to work in the best interest of our membership and not for own personal, selfish gains.  We must draw a line between party politics and members entitled benefit