Bacchus elected President of CTAWU

Revising the constitution of the Commercial Technical and Allied Workers Union (CTAWU) is just one of the things Cheryl Bacchus has planned for her tenure as president of the union.{{more}}

Bacchus, Senior Marketing Officer at the Government Employees Cooperative Credit Union (GECCU), was elected president on Wednesday, February 17, 2010, at the 19th Biennial Congress of the CTAWU. She spoke briefly with Searchlight about the plans in place for the trade union.

Bacchus related that the constitution, which presently governs the union, will have to be revised as it is outdated. “That is one of the areas the executive will have to look at, addressing certain issues in that constitution.”

Bacchus added that she hopes to introduce more training for members and set up committees, namely Education, Marketing and Grievance committees, to help members to deal with the issues of workers more effectively.

One of the main focuses of the union this year, Bacchus related, is to enhance the Labour Day celebrations. “Over the years, Labour Day comes and goes and nothing is really done to recognize workers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

She added that the union will partner with other unions in this effort, as well as in other initiatives, to “stamp our image on the nation.”

Bacchus, who joined the union in 1999, was a shop steward until she was elected President. “Trade Union is something I enjoy, especially because it deals with workers…how to lobby for workers, (workers) benefits and so on,” Bacchus said.

Noting that running the institution will be a challenge, Bacchus said that she is looking forward to the experience. As president, she intends to build on her knowledge and experience gained as a shop steward and to draw from the experiences of others and also share her knowledge with others.

The new executive committee includes first, second and third Vice Presidents Natasha Medford, Rawle Tesheira and Harvey Dick, respectively, the return of veteran trade unionist Joseph Burns Bonadie as Assistant General Secretary, and Executive Officers Errol Bowens and Christopher De Roche.

Outgoing President Alice Mandeville, a member of the union for 38 years, served as president for 22 years.