7 News Belize

“Pancho” and McFoy Close Ranks, Say Stevedores, NTUCB Will Have To Wait
posted (October 24, 2013)
The Christian Workers Union is at a cross roads. As we reported earlier this week, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, which is the umbrella body for labour unions, and the stevedores are demanding that they hold a Congress as they had committed to do on October 26th - that's Saturday. But, last week Friday in Belmopan, an assembly of the Union's member entities voted 13 - 2 to postpone that meeting to February of next year. The stevedores say that has no validity; they are proceeding with their Congress on Saturday - and proceeding to elect a new president and secretary general. But, today in their first interview since August, Gonzalez and McFoy stood their ground; they say it wasn't their decision to change the date, that's what their members decided, members including the stevedores:

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"We as the executive - we deplore the kind of actions they have taken because we believe that to dialogue, understanding, discussion we can move more positive ahead rather than with negative actions. We saw some internal setbacks; financial constraints and so forth and at a meeting on the 18th October, 2013, with all the representatives from all areas including the two stevedores, they decided to change the date of the congress to February 2014."

Jules Vasquez
"So you are saying they did vote in favor of the February 2014 meeting."

James McFoy, General Secretary - CWU
"My understanding yes. I think I heard one of them saying that they were trick like because they voted yes and now they get to understand that the 26th is the date and they will hold on to 26th as the date."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"A lot of stevedores are not supporting the actions. They are moving as is. As I said we are surprise that they come up now that they want to still imposed a meeting on Saturday which the Christian Workers Union has not sanctioned, authorized and officially to say that this meeting will still be on for the 26th of October."

Jules Vasquez
"The position of these stevedores is backed-up by a very strong, very damning statement from the National Trade Union Congress which says that in fact you all made a commitment to October 26th and that commitment should stand."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"National Trade Union Congress if they decide - yes they can expel the Christian Workers Union. They haven't come to the Christian Workers Union and ask them the reasons why the change, so if they want to go ahead they can expel the Christian Workers Union. What they can't do is to decertify the Christian Workers Union."

Jules Vasquez
"The position can well be taken that you all no longer have the latitude to change and change. You made a publicly said - undertook a meeting that was oversee by the NTUCB that you would have this thing on October 26th. You haven't had one for 10 years. You do not have the luxury or the latitude or the authority to have it postponed one more time because it has been too long postponed. How do you respond to that?"

James McFoy, General Secretary - CWU
"As you mentioned earlier that; it's not Mr. Gonzalez or Mr. McFoy that changed it. Under the constitution, the body made that decision."

Jules Vasquez
"However, the understanding was that the long delayed audit was to have been presented at this October 26th meeting. But there is no audit to present and again as President and General Secretary, that's falls at the feet of you both. How do you respond to that? There is still no audit."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"Jules, as we started the thing we mentioned that due to financial constraints, due to the high costs of pursuing with the audit. We won't try to find excuses; we are not here for excuses. In deed it wasn't done, in deed we didn't have a congress for so many years, so we won't deny that. We accept that. As leaders you have to accept what is true and we accept it. But you always have a way forward to correct these situations and that was done on the 18th October, 2013 at that meeting. We believe the extension and the postponement will play a great role to fit those issues for most completion for all of them, so that our members be satisfy as to the work that the CWU is doing on their behalf."

James McFoy, General Secretary - CWU
"They look at us and they ask us the question if we are prepared to continue negotiating their CBA. We told them; if you all want us to, we will be willing to complete or start your CBA."

Jules Vasquez
"But realistically I remembered the last Social Security CBA, it was sign I believe in the 4th year of that CBA which is expiring now because it takes so long to negotiate a CBA. So then, is it realistic for us to say by February 2014 everything in its right place and move on from there. It's not going to be done by 2014."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"Jules, the foundation has to be put in there."

Jules Vasquez
"At what point will an irrevocable commitment be made? I thought the commitment for October 26th was irrevocable. Circumstances has intervene and its revoked, but then one gets the sense that February 2014 will be revoked."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"No, I as President will not make 2014 revoke. Before I leave I will make sure the congress takes place."

Jules Vasquez
"But you said that in August."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"No, I didn't say that."

Jules Vasquez
"In August you committed to October."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"I didn't commit, all of us committed to October. You have to watch this Jules, we act in unity."

Jules Vasquez
"All of us include you."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"It includes me yes, but you are putting it as I said this by myself or the General Secretary said it by himself."

"Whatever happens up to February 2014 - the new leadership takes over and we move on."

Jules Vasquez
"Are you Mr. Gonzalez still prepared not to offer yourself as President again?"

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"I wish to repeat and repeat; I will not seek office come February 2014."

Jules Vasquez
"I saw in the letter that came out of the meeting on Friday it said Social Security is involved at a very critical juncture in these negotiations and we required or we would like the expertise and experience of you two gentlemen."

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"That was for the period up to February 2014. Jules, I will not seek office come February 2014. Now, if they call me for my expertise as a consultant then I will consider that."

A short while ago, 7News contacted Deon "Ras" Pitter, and we asked him about the claim which Antonio Gonzalez made that he and Raymond Rivers voted in support of the February general congress meeting for the CWU, and then changed their minds.

Pitter told us that the meeting where this February congress proposal was made, was a stunt by Gonzalez and James McFoy. According to Pitter, it was an ambush which never worked because they never voted in support of changing the date.

That interview was held at CWU headquarters which was occupied earlier this week by the Stevedores who basically stronger it to have their own press conference. On that day, Police showed up but they left them to finish up their press conference. Our sources say that McFoy called police, but he told us they were just patrolling and saw a gathering.

We mention that little skirmish, because there could be significant hostilities going forward. By all indications, the stevedores backed up by the NTUCB plan to hold their Congress on Saturday. That means, by Monday they could try to bring a new President and General Secretary to the CWU Office. We asked about that possibility:....

Jules Vasquez
"Who will be running this office on Monday? Who will have the stamp of the CWU? Who is in charge?"

James McFoy, General Secretary - CWU
"As we mentioned earlier we went and got some legal advice to that very same thing because unless the existing executive which are 4 of us still sanctioned that congress - that congress is not legal. Remember that you have to have a certain percentage of members there at a congress to make it be a legal proceeding."

Jules Vasquez
"Will you all undertake any procedures to block that meeting from being held since it appears that members want to go ahead or will go ahead with it? Will you all seek an injunction?"

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"We don't believe in confrontation whether it's illegal or not. We believe that there will not be enough of our members present at that meeting."

Jules Vasquez
"You don't think that you don't need to engage in any active resistance? It would fall by its own way you believe?"

Antonio "Pancho" Gonzalez, CWU President
"We believe that it will fall as you've said."

James McFoy, General Secretary - CWU
"Let's say for instance that goes through. The position will be what step is next because if it is not legal then they can't come in the office."

Gonzalez and Mcfoy have been at the CWU for 22 years. They say the union has 700 members in 15 departments entities they represent.

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