Their action forced a showdown with the resort’s security officers, who denied them access to the resort. But the union executives refused to leave the property.
Atlantis officials had been briefed last night that union General Secretary Leo Douglas had planned to lead a group of about 20 union members into the laundry department.
The department is being affected by a go-slow now into its second day.
Union executives ordered such action yesterday as an impasse for a new industrial agreement for hotel workers dragged on.
Other properties being affected by the industrial action are the British Colonial Hilton and the government-owned Radisson Cable Beach Resort.
Police officials claimed that they were not called to the scene of the Atlantis disturbance, but were only driving by at the time.
Mr. Douglas told the Journal that Atlantis security prevented him from getting on the property. He spent much of the morning outside the department’s gate, claiming that he did not want to break any laws or cause any trouble.
He said he only wanted to walk around the department to make sure that union workers were “okay.”
Mr. Douglas told the Bahama Journal that he and his group planned to stay outside the gate until they received word from union President Pat Bain to do otherwise.
All scheduled workers were said to be at work, but many of them were reportedly participating in the action which was having a drastic effect on operations at the department, according to one property official.
The union and the Hotel Employers Association are attempting to wrap up negotiations for a new industrial agreement which would affect more than 6,000 workers at 11 hotel properties.
The employers are offering lump sum payments of between $300 and $500 and salary increases of 6.5 percent over the five-year period of the contract, but the union is demanding at least a 12 percent raise for the workers.
The Association has said it would be impossible for employers to agree to this demand and still remain in business.
Meanwhile, union executives are promising to keep up the pressure on Employers Association until they get their way in the negotiations.
Mr. Douglas said Monday that operations at the Hilton, the Radisson and the laundry department at Atlantis had been “pretty well affected” by the go-slow.
Declining to disclose the hotel union’s next move, Mr. Douglas said the organisation’s leaders would not rule out any legal industrial action in attempting to secure the contract, which parties have been negotiating for over one year.
“We have a legal strike vote and however we feel like dealing with that is how we will deal with it,” Mr. Douglas said.
“We have a legal strike vote and that is as much as I would say. So whatever action is taken the union will have to say we have a legal strike vote and it’s as simple as that,” he added. “The only thing we want is to get at the (negotiation) table or sign a contract as soon as possible.”
Mr. Douglas cited the example of laundry workers at the Atlantis resort, claiming that they are not adequately compensated for their work.
“We heard a lot of complaints from the people in the laundry stating that they are working hard and only making $11 a month in tips,” he said.
“They are the ones who are supplying all these properties with linen and they’re getting [poor] compensation. Nobody seems to care,” he added.
Mr. Douglas also blasted Atlantis executives for reportedly failing to visit the laundry department on Monday to reassure employees that attempts were being made to resolve the dispute, claiming that the executives’ failure to show up is evidence that they do not care about resort employees.
According to Mr. Douglas, despite appearances to the contrary all of the union’s actions are aimed at helping to conclude a contract.
“All we want is for management to do what is right; it’s as simple as that,” he said.
“The sooner they sign the contract and give the people what is due to them we will have no problem. I cannot make any promises because we have a legal strike vote and when the time comes if we have to use it fully that is what we are going to have to do,” he added.
Labour Minister Vincent Peet, meanwhile, said he is disappointed that negotiations have deteriorated to the level that they have.
Calling for “calm heads to prevail” in the contentious talks, Mr. Peet urged the parties to exert greater effort in attempting to conclude the industrial agreement.
Also calling for a speedy conclusion to the negotiations, Chief Shop Steward at the Atlantis Resort Pedro Cox advocated a different approach in bringing the stalled talks to conclusion.
“They had a merry Christmas, but we aren’t promising them a happy New Year,” Mr. Cox said.
“If (Kerzner executives) J. Barrie Farrington, Paul O’Neil and Alan Liebman want to jeopardise the tourism industry then we can go ahead,” he added. “They’re the ones destroying this country.”
He also suggested that the conditions and benefits contained in the Employer’s Association’s proposal would mitigate against employee productivity.
“When you get honest, hardworking people who are willing to come to work working for you and you treat them like this do you know what that would do?” Mr. Cox questioned.
Mr. Farrington on Monday expressed disappointment that the union has sought to take such action. He has said that the employers have been cooperative in the negotiations and can only agree to what they can now afford
Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
