Felisha Thomas now heads PSA

FELISHA Thomas is the new president of the Public Services Association (PSA), according to the results of the election held on March 10, as signed off by elections officer Desmond Noel on March 12. Thomas won 2,612 votes, comfortably ahead of rivals Oral Saunders who got 975 votes and Nixon Callender on 452 votes.

Thomas was previously PSA first vice president, serving alongside past president Watson Duke, whose political activities led him to step down in favour of incumbent PSA head Leroy Baptiste.

Thomas becomes the PSA's second woman president after Jennifer Baptiste-Primus who then became labour minister in Dr Rowley's first administration.

All candidates on the Sacrosanct slate led by Thomas won their posts, ahead of candidates on Saunders' United Public Officers' slate and Callender's PSA United Sentinels slate.

The winning slate was: Felisha Thomas (president), Avinash Maharajh (first vice president), Nova Johnson (second vice president), Kellon Wallace (general secretary), Marsha Padia (deputy general secretary), Steffen Jitten (treasurer), Shinelle Quinlan (trustee one), Nicole Daniel (trustee two), Haydn Duke (IR officer), Dixie Anne Williams-James (IR officer), Kester Thomas (IR officer), Nikisha Leander-Mc Leod (IR officer) and Kerri-Ann Bailey (IR officer).

Baptiste warmly congratulated his successor, Thomas, on her victory over Saunders and Callender.

"She was my first vice president. It is my team. I am handing over to my first vice president.

"It is one team, one group, that is incumbent, outside of myself of course. Congrats to the team."

He said the results showed the union's membership supported the team and its position in firmly rejecting the four per cent salary hike offered by the government.

"The PSA is in good hands," Baptiste said.

He hit the government for offering a four per cent wage hike which he said they had unusually offered for the time spanning two bargaining periods.

Baptiste said for one period 2014-2016, the government was offering no increase for 2014, no increase for 2015 and a two per cent increase for 2016.

For the 2017-2019 period said Baptiste, the government's offer was likewise no increase for 2017, no increase for 2018 and two per cent increase for 2019.

He said never before in history had any government in TT ever combined the hikes for two separate periods, and presented it was the proposed increase.

Baptiste also bemoaned that unusually the government had refused to consolidate a cost of living allowance (COLA) into the initial salary upon which a proposed hike was calculated.

By way of explanation, he said if a $100 salary attracted a $10 COLA payment as a hedge against inflation, the effective sum had always been the total of $110 on which to apply any negotiated increase such as a four per cent rise, but not now.

"This has happened from time immemorial. Until Rowley and Imbert."

Baptiste said the government's proposal was for a wage hike to be applied only to the basic salary but to exclude the increase from the COLA amount. Baptiste dubbed the government's proposal the "worst advantage" against citizens.

Of the Thomas-led executive, Baptiste said, "The mandate to the new team is to reject that."

Saying workers must be comfortable, he said the PSA successively under him and Thomas would promote fairness and equity.

Newsday asked his personal reflection on his term.

Baptiste said, "It was a pleasure, with the young people around me, to have them stand firm to try to improve the living standard of people."

He described Thomas' election as "a landslide victory."

Suggesting she had been relatively unknown, he said, "It is not about the person but the message. The membership agreed with the message.

"I assure you that workers will win this, at least the PSA and its membership."

Baptiste contrasted the proposals made to public employees to the increases he saw about to be awarded to government ministers and MPs.

While stepping down as PSA head, Baptiste left the door open for "maybe another role."

"I will be unrelenting in ensuring that this government does not continue to oppress the workers in this country."