rfORKER^ VOICE Volume 45. No.23 Friday, April 24, 2009 Price 50 cents 62 Years Old and StiU United! By LaVeme Furbert (based on The History of the Bermuda Industrial Union by Ira Philip) Ms. Iris Davis, daughter of BWA founder, Brother William Davis, and Brother Austin Wilson, another BWA founder, stand out the carpenter's show where the Bermuda Workera Association was founded. Sixty-two years ago, on AprU 24, 1947, the Bermuda However, this fea did not stop Walton St. George Brown Industrial Union became a registered trade union. According to (grandfether of Senator Walton Brown) fixjm organizing the The History ofthe Bermuda Industrial Union by Ira PhiUp, the sugar cane workers in St. Lucia during the World War of 1939 - formal appUcation for registration was made to the Registrar of 1945. Brown later became their elected representative in the St. the Supreme Court in January 1947 but it was not granted untU Lucia Executive CouncU. April after Dr. E. E Gordon threatened to sue the Registrar ofthe "....for generations, Bermudians had been indoarinated with Supreme Court because of the inordinate delay sus(>ected to be the propaganda that they were not, ideologically or otherwise, a aimed at obstructing and finjstrating labors forward thrust. part of the Caribbean, and that Bermudians were different from History has recorded that it was Dr. Gordon who their neighboring cousins," wtites Mr. PhUip. "The tme feet founded the labour movement in Bermuda. According to Mr. was that people in and of Bermuda had a pivotal role in Britain's PhiUp, the workers in Bermuda were the last to be organized in suppression of the workers in the Caribbean and in the the Island territories of the Atlantic and Caribbean area. Continued on page 12 WORKERS VOICE NOW 50 CENTS For the first time m well over a decade, the price of the Workers Voice has been increased from twenty-five cents to fifty cents. Readers wili appreciate that the cost of printing and production of printed material In Bermuda has increased over the years and the Workers Voice, has had to meet the cost. Additionally, for the first time in the history of the Worl<ers Voice our readers can enjoy a full colour newspaper, which is no longer printed in-house. •V Bermudian Architect Harold Conyers Backs W&E Minister By LaVeme Furbert WeU-known and well-qualified Bermudian architect, Harold Conyers, who has supervised several major construction projects in Bermuda has confirmed Minister Derrick Burgess' statement that the Police/Court building "is StiU more than capable of being placed back on track and could still in principle be brought to completion on time and budget, despite the initial difficulties which have been experienced". Mr Conyers, who was responsible for some of the largest building projects in Bermuda, also said that it is not unusual for large projects, such as the Police/ Court building to experience problems during construction. "Invariably, costs change mosdy due CO an owner wanting extra work done," explainal Mr. Conyers. "Or it could Minister Derrick Burgess (center) along with Permanent Secretary, Robert Horton be any other unforeseen circumstance (far left) Eddy Henri, Harold Conyers and Bob Northrcott, an associate of Mr. Conyers (I-r) impacting the cost/time line of the work, such as more rain days than the hard rock and unsuit^le ground conditions superintendent; James Young, the site historical average causing worfc interruption which could not have been foreseen by superintendent; and Kevin Smith, the before a building is enclosed." the Ministry's engineers or the site foreman and safety oflficer for LLC At a recent press conference. Contractor. These conditions are Bermuda Ltd.," lauded Minister Burgess. Minister Burgess said that he was encountered on many lai^e construction "These gendemen, aU Bemiudians, are pleased to report that the latest projects and the new Magistrates' doing an exemplary job maintaining the construction schedule issued by the Court/Hamilton Police Station oinstnicrion site and in ensuring that progress is Contractor, LLC Bermuda Ltd., shows project was no exception. Therefore, we maintained. I must dte also the continuing late October 2010 as the substantial reiterate our satisfaction with the outstanding leadership of Eddy Henri in completion date of the Magistrates' progress and with the acceleration in che overseeing the project on Government's Court/Hamilton Police Station oonstnicoon schedule that is occurring." behalf and keeping it moving in the project. This fact was agreed to by Mr. Mr. Conyers agreed with right direction and the support provided Conyers, as well as Mr. Eddy Henri, Minister Burgess saying that the contractors by Conyers and Associates Ltd., who is the Government's Representative were moving at an acceptable pace. He Architects for the project. I dte in parricular who is overseeing the work on the site. also concurred that che workmanship by che excellent contriburion being made by "It must be noted that the original the contractors was consistent with the Mr. Harold Conyers, a prindpal in thac firm." "substantial completion date" set by the requirements of the contract document Mr. Conyers said that he and Ministry of Works and Engineering was and said that he was very satisfied with Mr. Henri had worked together on the 19th August, 2010, a date based upon the quality of work of the mostly Waterfront building on the site of the construction beginning on 21st January, Bermudian workforce on sice. old Pearman Watlington building. Additionally he told the Workers Voice 2008, stated Minister Burgess. "As has "We wish to take this opportunity that two of the projects he had worked b«n statal previously, some inirial slippage to highlight and commend the efforts of on were cwice as large as the Police/ in the schedule occurred due primarUy some of the people on site, individuals Court building. • to geotechnical condicions caused by like Brendon Harris, the assistant THE WORKERS VOICE APRIL 17,2009 LETTER TO THE EDITOR IMPLICATIONS OF POWER INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE BERMUDA SCHOOL CERTIFICATE (BSC) Dear Editor, Dear Madam: Internationally there were two government takeovers reported in the media in March 2009. One was the Did you know that the Bermuda School Certificate dissolution of the Turks and Caicos government by the is accepted internationaUy? Yes, indeed it is. Students who British Parliament and che installation of the British successfully complete the S4 year in Bermudas public Governor for Turks and Caicos to have power over the school system can continue their education elsewhere if ministries and other state departments. The other they choose. They are accepted in accredited universities takeover was thac in Madagascar, where che President was and colleges in the United States, Canada and Britain. deposed in a military coup and the coup leader stated he Dalhousie University Admission requirements for will be working towards a cooperative government in two students from Bermuda: Bermuda Secondary School years time. Obviously these two situations are totally Certificate (BSSC) or the new Bermuda School different and have very complex starting and ending Certificate (BSC) or General Certificate of Education points not to mention the points in between. However, a (GCE) or SAT or ACT or 1st year Bermuda College. key factor that is occutring in the two scenarios is the Queens University in Ontario, Canada has similar impUcations of power. requirements. The U.S. requires all international smdents to sit the SAT. Smdents going to the U.K. might require the 1st year Bermuda CoUege depending on the type of course they are entering. Since we have added an additional year (S4), it is up to Bermuda to negotiate this new situation with Britain. What further proof of international acceptance is required? But we have some internal obstacles to acceptance of the BSC. Those who choose the recipients of scholar­ ships still view the BSC negatively. No school system has a 100% success rate but we in Bermuda only highlight the failures in our system and never celebrate our successes which we have every year. C^uld this behaviour of d^rading things Bermudian be linked to colonial thinking and David Chapman, a PhD student at Royal Holloway College In attitudes? What do you think? England, talks to his son Judah's classmates about his Daddy As long as we continue to disenfranchise the and I Explore.... Books. Bermudian, the anti-sodal behariour within our community Indeed that is what dependency, as in British will continue to exist and fester. Such behaviour is a product Dependent Territory, is aU about - rhe power of one of low self-esteem and alienation. If our education system group over another. A baby is dependent on its mother does not promote Bermuda and Bermudians as the lens because the mother has the power to obtain food for it through which we view ourselves and the world, than we and the baby doesn't. A plant is dependent on the sun will self-destruct. because the plant needs the sun's energy to provide it with If we are to properly educate our children and buUd the food it needs to survive. In Madagascar, the coup our country, we must value our culmre, maintain our leader was able to depose the president because he had Bermuda curriculum and give it credit as do others in the power with the backing of the army, and some say USA, Canada and Britain. We must ensure that Bermuda Continued on pap 16 Continued on page 17 THE WORKERS VOICE APRIL 17.2009 Appiications Invited For The Ministry of Health today announced today that the applications for the Dr. Barbara Ball Public Health Scholarship may be submitted Friday 15 May 2009.