| BTL Fires Union Leader Christine Perriot | | Tue, February 27, 2007 | |
Her husband Paul is president, but union firebrand Christine Perriot is
the spirit and force behind the Communication Workers Union. But tonight, she
has to lead from outside BTL because Christine Perriot was terminated with immediate
effect this afternoon. Perriot, who's been working at BTL for 17 years, got
the news in a meeting with the company's human resource personnel at 3:30 this
afternoon. We spoke to her at 5:00 pm, when she left work, for the last time
in two decades. But there were no tears for ms. Perriot; predictably, the feisty
secretary general of the union, was her usual defiant self.
Christine Perriot, Fired
"Jules, to be honest I don't feel dishearten, I just feel more energetic.
I just feel more revived. This is a cause for injustices, this is a cause for
corruption, and for people acting above the law - dah 'nuff dah 'nuff. It is
time for them to step down now."
Jules Vasquez.
Why were you fired?
Christine Perriot,
"When we went into the meeting, Martha Molina stated was that the communication
between myself and the company, myself acting in the capacity of the general
secretary, have broken down. She said that I am not happy with the company and
the company no longer, they have decided to terminate my services. The letter
states that my service is no longer required and they terminated me effective
immediately."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you view this as union busting on management's part?
Christine Perriot,
"Major, number one. Union busting to get the staff scared, to get workers
scared that they have the power and they have the authority and they can act
above the law any which way."
Jules Vasquez,
Is this not though an illustration that they do have the power, they are in
control and they aren't intimidated by your threat of industrial action?
Christine Perriot,
"And that is what I just said, it is them acting barely clearly above
the law, yes it is that."
Jules Vasquez,
But it is convincing, it is more than an act, it is being made real.
Christine Perriot,
"Yes it is and it is to send a clear message to each and every worker
that, 'listen you just do what I tell you to do. And if you say A, I will kick
your behind and your family and everything home.' That is a clear message to
them."
Jules Vasquez,
Will this thwart your plan for industrial action?
Christine Perriot,
"None whatsoever."
Janelle Chanona, News 5
"From a family perspective are you concerned that your husband who is also
employed by the company will receive a similar letter?"
Christine Perriot,
"No. Janelle if it was me in the flesh, maybe I would have acted or
felt some way but this is not me. This is all God's doing. This is a plan that
he has. This is not over yet. I knew that this would have happened to me. I
knew that they would have done it to intimidate the workers, to intimidate even
the government."
Janelle Chanona,
"Do you attack this legally, industrially?"
Christine Perriot,
"On my behalf, I am going to find a grievance and yes I am going to
do it legally. It is a clear million dollar case. Wow, I can live good. But
this is not about me, this is not about me. This is about workers having their
rights disrespected. Workers having their dignity just ripped from them. You
have no right of freedom of expression, no right of freedom of association,
no rights to join a union, to be an elected officer, no right to say that you
don't feel good about work, no right to adhere by a collective agreement. This
is about people acting above the law. This is about injustices and this is about
corruption. This is not about Christine Perriot because I was not terminated
as Christine Perriot, I was terminated as the general secretary of the union.
I am proud to be an employee of BTL. Seventeen years say a lot. My appraisals
say a lot and my being here and standing up for workers. I am going to take
that everywhere with me. So I actually feel no way. I knew that this would have
happened someday. We know that they would have done it to bust the union, to
scare the workers. We knew that this would have happened so we had planned for
it."
Aggrieved union members gathered outside the Esquivel Telecom Center in
solidarity with their secretary general this evening.
Up to newstime, the numbers had increased, as workers from the Esquivel
Telecom Center were joined by numbers from the downtown offices. Their mood
was muted but the frustration was palpable. Energized by this, the NTUCB will
be having an emergency meeting of all its affiliates at 5:30 tomorrow, at a
location not yet disclosed.
Late this evening, BTL's manager of business development, marketing and
public relations Karen Bevans said that firing Christine Perriot had nothing
to do with her union activism. She says the decision was made because Perriot
was making no valuable contribution to the company, and was obviously not happy
at BTL - so management thought it best that they part ways.
We do know that Perriot had a difference of opinion with her supervisor
on the 20th February in which he indicated that her being on go slow was affecting
her on the job performance.
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