New WIFOL President Joanice Richardson sets sights on rebuilding union, addressing CLAs

GREAT BAY--Newly elected Workers Institure for Organised Labour (WIFOL) President Joanice Richardson says his immediate priorities will be completing three outstanding collective labour agreements, rebuilding the union’s membership and restoring order to the organization’s administrative and financial affairs following a leadership transition after decades under former President Theophilus Thompson.

Richardson, who had been a union member in 1979 as a casino worker, said his entry into trade union leadership came after he was approached by WIFOL founder Rene Richardson and encouraged to consider putting himself forward for a leadership role. Initially hesitant because of his lack of direct union experience, Richardson eventually agreed to contest the position and said he was surprised to receive approximately 98 percent of the valid votes cast.

He said his approach to union leadership will be centered on service to workers, fairness and rebuilding an organization that once had more than 2,000 members. Richardson said WIFOL must return to being a visible and active organization that workers see value in joining.

Among his first priorities are three outstanding collective labour agreements involving Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Holland House Beach Hotel and Belair Beach Hotel. Richardson said he intends to formally reach out to the employers and begin working toward concluding the agreements, describing the outstanding CLAs as the first major matter the new board wants to address.

He said completing those agreements is important not only for the workers directly involved, but also for restoring confidence in WIFOL as an organization capable of representing its members effectively. Once those matters are moving toward resolution, Richardson said the board intends to begin a broader membership drive aimed at rebuilding what he described as the union’s organizational “machine.”

Richardson said the new leadership has inherited significant administrative challenges and, at the time of the interview, had only recently secured physical access to the WIFOL building. He said the new board still did not have full access to financial records, bank accounts, statements and other documentation required to establish a complete picture of the union’s finances and operations.

According to Richardson, efforts to address access to WIFOL’s existing banking arrangements have also proved difficult. He said the new leadership has presented documentation establishing its election and legal standing but had not yet been able to exercise full control over the existing accounts. The board is considering the steps necessary to establish proper financial control and ensure that union funds are managed under the authority of the newly elected leadership.

Richardson said the condition and financial management of WIFOL’s building will also require immediate attention. He estimated that the property currently owes GEBE approximately XCG 200,000, while the building itself requires extensive cleaning, repairs and rehabilitation.

The new president said the rental arrangements involving occupants of the building are now being reviewed closely. According to Richardson, there are four tenants associated with the property and, based on the information currently available to him, all but one apparently made rental payments in cash directly to Thompson. He stressed that the new board is still gathering documentation to determine exactly what agreements were in place, how much each tenant was required to pay and how those payments were handled.

Richardson said the board has written to the tenants requesting details of their arrangements, including the agreed rental amount, how payments were made, where they were paid and with whom the agreements were established. Tenants were given until the end of September to provide the requested information.

He said preliminary information suggests that only one tenant appears to be paying rent on a regular basis, while some other arrangements may have involved the bartering of services or payments being made only occasionally, including when a tenant held a function. Richardson emphasized that these arrangements are still being reviewed and that the board intends to determine the facts from the available records and responses from the tenants.

For Richardson, however, the basic financial principle is straightforward: rental income from the building must, at a minimum, be sufficient to cover essential operating expenses such as GEBE. He said that is clearly not happening at present, particularly with the property carrying an electricity-related debt estimated at approximately XCG 200,000.

He questioned the sustainability of arrangements under which occupants regularly use the building, including electricity and water, while the union remains responsible for the accumulating utility costs. Richardson said the new board will have to determine whether existing rental arrangements should be regularized, renegotiated or discontinued.

One possibility under consideration is a complete reorganization of the property. Rather than maintaining long-term arrangements that do not adequately contribute to operating expenses, Richardson wants WIFOL to explore creating meeting rooms, office spaces and a small convention or event facility that could be rented as needed and generate income for the union.

The broader goal, he said, is to ensure that the building once again serves WIFOL members while also helping the organization meet its own operating costs.

Richardson acknowledged that the transition is taking place after more than four decades of leadership under Thompson and said he does not expect every aspect of that transition to happen quickly. His immediate focus, he said, is gaining access to the union’s records, establishing a clear picture of its finances and obligations, and putting basic administrative systems in place.

He also stressed that his intention is not to focus the new administration on personal criticism of his predecessor. Instead, he said the absence of an active board structure, including positions such as general secretary and treasurer, contributed to a system in which too much responsibility became concentrated in one office over a prolonged period.

Richardson said the new WIFOL will operate differently, with greater involvement from its board and a renewed emphasis on accountability and service to members.

The new leadership also intends to expand what the union offers workers beyond collective bargaining and workplace representation. Richardson said he wants WIFOL to eventually provide opportunities for members to strengthen basic and professional skills, including educational support and training.

For Richardson, rebuilding WIFOL will therefore involve more than increasing membership numbers. It will require restoring the union’s finances, strengthening its internal structure, completing outstanding agreements and demonstrating to workers why organized labour remains relevant.

He said the organization will begin reaching out to workers and workplaces as part of a membership campaign once the most immediate administrative issues are brought under control.

Richardson said he recognizes the scale of the task ahead but believes WIFOL can again become the organization it once was, with a strong membership base and an active role in protecting workers’ interests across St. Maarten.

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