I am referring to a letter of 13-08-07, ‘Roy Bodden at it again,’ written by Henry Bodden.
I don’t know where he comes off with his analysis as to why unions wouldn’t be a good thing for the Cayman Islands. In fact, I’m extremely frustrated by his views that put down labour unions.
I have no idea who he is, but I wonder what his position was when he lived in the United States.
I find it hard to believe he could have been an average middle class person and returned here with the attitude he seems to have developed regarding labour unions.
I lived my entire life in the United States. I am a retired Teamster and I first joined the union when I started working in a full time profession.
It is because of unions that the United States has a solid middle class. It’s because of unions that people in the United States have the benefits they do.
This includes health insurance, vacation time, and pensions, as well as respect in the community. The jobs of union members are now considered to be respectable because people earn enough money to be accepted into middle class society.
How come there is a rift here in Cayman that seems to put down blue collar jobs?
How come many Caymanians don’t want to accept blue collar jobs?
It’s often been said that Caymanians are lazy and don’t want to work.
I don’t believe this.
I see low wages and little respect for these kinds of jobs contributing to the fact that Caymanians don’t want these kinds of jobs. This includes plumbers, electricians, carpenters, labourers, truck drivers, restaurant workers, hotel workers sales clerks, security guards, etc.
What does the Chamber of Commerce do for people in the trades, truck drivers, garbage men, etc.? What does the Chamber do for sales clerks and restaurant and hotel workers? Is anyone doing anything for these workers?
In my opinion, the only sentence mentioned in Henry Bodden’s letter that has an ounce of truth in it, is that union bosses do make more money than the people they represent.
Don’t business owners make more than their employees? Don’t managers usually make more than those that work under them? Don’t politicians normally make more than their constituents? In fact, it seems to me that the division between those who have and those who have not continues to escalate here in Cayman.
Who is representing the have nots?
Where can they go with their grievances?
Most people I have talked with say they get no satisfaction by contacting the labour board. Many individuals have stated they are afraid to contact the labour board because they fear they will lose their jobs if they make any waves.
Even though health insurance, overtime, and pensions are mandated by law, these are issues that are not always followed through by employers. I have personally spoken with people who have been coerced into signing statements saying they will work overtime at straight pay and forego their overtime.
And, I am talking about Caymanians here, not ex-pats.
I care a lot about Cayman and the people. I feel really bad when I see what is happening here.
People need to band together.
So far, it seems like there is a lot of talk, but people don’t know what to do. However, it does seem to me like people are becoming more desperate.
One way to band together here in Cayman and do something positive for the workers, as well as the workers doing something to better themselves, is to form a union.
If Caymanians don’t start working together, nothing will change.
Wayne Oldenburger
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