The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AFTER being accused of creating political mischief over a list of promotions at the Water and Sewerage Corporation, the heads of both unions representing staff have come out and admitted their ties to the Progressive Liberal Party.

During the days leading up to the general election a number of staff at WSC received promotions. Their letters were dated September 1. In another letter dated September 23 and again signed by general manager, Elwood Donaldson, the promotions were rescinded. The promotions prompted criticism from Dwayne Woods, president of the Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union, and Montgomery Miller, president of Water and Sewerage Management Union, who denounced the list as being politically motivated. They also said the promotions did not follow the proper process.

Recently, several WSC union members contacted The Tribune expressing their disgust at their promotions being rescinded and called the union presidents political operatives.

One of the union members said: “I work hard and I do not talk politics on this job so no one can say I am an FNM and that’s why I got promoted. This really saddens me and I know the union presidents are just being pushing their political agenda. This is against Donaldson and the former chairman and I want it to stop because this is hurting the staff.”

The union member claimed the younger Mr Miller was hired by his father, former WSC chairman Leslie Miller, however the union leader denied this.

“Miller was hired by his father who was the executive chairman of Water and Sewerage in 2016,” the union member said. “He was Montgomery Ferguson then and later changed his name to Miller. He is the brother of Leslia Miller. Woods was down on Long Island campaigning for the PLP and hoping with every fibre of his being that Adrian Gibson was voted out. They are connected and pushing their political agenda and we have to suffer for it.”

The union members who spoke to The Tribune all had the same story except one who was even more upset saying that since Mr Woods became union president, not one staff member was promoted. The recent promotions, according to the second union member, were a welcomed change.

“Not one person was promoted under Mr Woods,” the second union member said. “This was our chance. Finally someone noticing our work and what did they do? They agreed to have our promotions taken back because of their political agenda.”

Last week, Mr Miller had expressed disagreement with Long Island MP-elect Adrian Gibson performing the role of executive chairman, citing that the Water and Sewerage Act does not call for such a title, but instead the position of chairman which is directly connected to the board of directors and not the day operations of the corporation.

The Tribune contacted both Mr Miller and Mr Woods and they both confirmed their political ties.

“Yes I am his son,” Mr Miller said admitting he is the son of former PLP Cabinet minister Leslie Miller. “There is no question or dispute about that. Secondly, he did not hire me. He met me at the corporation. He is known for being chairman at BPL. Now it is true that he did serve for a very brief period as chairman of Water and Sewerage while I was there, but the record would reflect clearly that I was there before he came there.

“I returned (to WSC) in February 2016 and I think he would have come months after. I can’t remember exactly when he would have been appointed. I was there before him. I am absolutely not politically motivated. What I would have said to you is of substance and not partisanship.”

Leslie Miller was appointed to his former post at WSC in January 2016.

Mr Woods did not shy away from allegations that he campaigned against Mr Gibson in Long Island.

“That is a fact,” Mr Woods said. “I was there in Long Island campaigning against him. We demonstrated against the chairman for four and a half years and it fell on deaf ears with the minister and his party. So it left us no alternative but to campaign them out of governance.

“I am not running from that. That is a fact. Anytime governments don’t listen, unions have to bring them down. Demonstrations didn’t work, so then (we) campaigned them out. That’s how you move them. If that was not done, this union wouldn’t have relief today. That is my position.

“We complained to that government and they said Adrian Gibson is the best thing since sliced bread. We proved over and over that he was toxic for this environment and they failed to listen. So we went to another level.”

Mr Woods took issue with complaints from members that he has not achieved promotion for them in years. He showed The Tribune letters dated June 12, 2018, and August 30, 2020, where he petitioned the then Minister of Works Desmond Bannister and Cheryl Hanna, WSC assistant general manager, to carry out promotion exercises within the corporation.