I am writing in response to the veto of the bill that would allow the Port Authority Police Officers, Firefighters, and Crew Chiefs to participate in the Career Incentive Program. I am the Unit Union President of the United Steel Workers Supervisors Union that represents the police lieutenants and crew chiefs of the VI Port Authority. The information from VIPA that the provision of the bill would interfere with our existing collective bargaining agreement is far from the truth. In fact, the police lieutenants and crew chiefs do not have a collective bargaining agreement. If we did, the bill would only help the employees by policing the labor practices of the VI PA as it pertains to compensating the employees in the Incentive Program.
I can only talk for my membership and not the other unions' members, but I feel that a Senate hearing should be called on this bill to get the facts on the table and each side could spell out the pros and cons.
Kevin Hewitt
Virgin Islands

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