Veteran trade unionist Vincent Uriah Morrison easily won the race for the presidency of the National Workers Union (NWU) yesterday, and immediately warned his colleagues that his administration would not conduct business as usual.

Morrison clobbered his challenger, Danny Robert, 313 votes to 119 and spread a coat-tail wide enough to take home his full slate of candidates for the four vice-presidents positions. Outgoing president Clive Dobson was named president-emeritus.

New president of the National Workers Union Vincent Morrison is congratulated by these elated delegates after the results of yesterday's presidential election were announced at the union's 28th biennial congress at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston. (Photos: Garfield Robinson)

The main casualty of the romp was the union's vice-president in charge of the crucial bauxite/alumina sector, Norman DaCosta, who could only muster 187 votes to finish fifth among the seven challengers for the four vice-presidencies at the union's 28th biennial congress at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

One member of Morrison's team, Howard Duncan, who is responsible for organising public sector workers, finished with the most overall votes - 326. Granville Valentine, another member of the victorious team, got 300 votes to finish third overall in the voting.

The union elected its first female vice-president in Montegonian Princess Edmonson-Lee, who got 281 votes. The fourth vice-president is Herbie Morris, also from Montego Bay, who got 272 votes.

Roberts not only lost his bid for the presidency, but also his vice-presidency, although he still remains president of the NWU's white collar affiliate, the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE).

Morrison's campaign was managed by UCASE general-secretary Senator Navel Clarke, while DaCosta headed Roberts' campaign.
Roberts humbly conceded victory, describing the election as "a showcase of democracy", and promised to work with the new administration to reunite the union around "one leader, one aim and one purpose".

Morrison welcomed the commitments to unify the union, but insisted that he would be carrying out the programme he had promised in his campaign.
Most importantly, he said, he would ensure that the union improves its administrative process, at all levels, and observe its constitution "to the letter".

He said that regional delegates councils must start meeting on a regular basis to ensure that the union's work is carried out effectively and efficiently, and the training of delegates and staff must become a priority.
"We must not allow management to be ahead of us at the bargaining table," Morrison said.

He said that the union must find creative ways to significantly improve its financial strength, and promised to put back on the table a business plan which will ensure that the union does not have to rely on membership dues to meet its financial obligations.

But Morrison's main warning was to the union's leadership in the bauxite/alumina sector which, he said, would be reviewed to ensure more efficient representation.

"It does make sense that within such an important industry to the national life of the economy, such as the bauxite/alumina sector, more efforts need to be made by all concerned to have negotiations and labour contracts settled more quickly," he said.

"Contracts that are outstanding for 18 months do not help workers," said Morrison. "We all know that the monster called inflation takes a toll on these contracts the longer they take to be settled, and therefore, I say to the delegates in that sector that we will be looking at the sector very closely to ensure better and more efficient representation." - balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com

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