Newly elected president, Darrin Woods, and Team Phoenix dominated the polling charts  last Tuesday, in The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) elections.

Mr. Woods, now the former general secretary for the Union, said getting a registered industrial agreement is first on the agenda; their mantra, protection, empowerment, advancement and service.

“A part of what we want to start off with is our membership discount cards, where while we negotiate a contract, as a part of empowering them we want to be able to stretch that dollar that they spend,” he said.

“At various business houses they’re able to get discounts, we also are partnering with first care, that they will be able to receive discounts on medical care. 

“Whatever their monthly fee is, as a member of the hotel union, they will receive a discount off that monthly fee, and then wherever they go they’ll be able to get medical attention. 

“Also, we’re partnering with the union health and welfare which is a major medical, which our members will be able to buy into and they have a major medical. 

“In addition to that we intend to introduce an assistance programme for our members because the time has come now when there are times of disasters that the union members will be able to come to the union and receive even if it’s an initial benefit,” he added.

With just under 5,000 members eligible to vote, Wood said they’re working on getting members reengaged with the Union.   

“We’re going to offer our service now to the members, improve our service to them, improve benefits to the members, because we believe that if we improve the benefits to the members, they will reconnect with the union,” he said. 

“Because as opposed to just paying ten dollars a week and that’s it, you’ll be paying ten dollars a week and be able to receive some reciprocal benefits from the Union.”

Mr. Wood said although over the year’s progress has been made, there is much more work to be done. 

“We are going to be focusing on the health aspect of our membership because we recognize that there are a lot of non-communicable diseases that our people are contracting and developing because of our lifestyle,” he said. 

“We want to develop and portray a more healthier industry, because if the members and the employees are healthier they’ll be more productive on the job.” 

Woods’ competitors were Abraham Smith of Team New Day, Tyrone Knowles of Team Revolution, and Valderine Small of Team Destiny.

There were two polls in New Providence, one in San Salvador and one in Grand Bahama. 

The BHCAWU will be 60 years old on December 1, 2018.