Unions tells PM to “drop his pride,” opposition MP suggest to "close it down" with a strike

GREAT BAY--The opposition parties National Alliance (NA) and United People (UP) on Thursday said they stand in solidarity with emergency services and other unions, with one MP telling the unions and the supporters that maybe it was time to "close it down", "strike" and "stand firm" to trigger definitive action by the government and warned that a motion of no confidence would follow if the stalemate with emergency services continues.

At a meeting that drew police, fire, ambulance, Coast Guard, air traffic services, teachers, and staff from the government’s Collective Preventive Services (CPS), MPs Darryl York, Francisco Lacroes, and Omar Ottley engaged union leaders and members on what they feel should be the next steps if no action is taken following this latest escalation of the month-long go slow by the fire and ambulance departments.

WICSU-PSU president Sharon Cangieter told government, and specifically Prime Minister Luc Mercelina, to “drop his pride and solve the issue forthwith” to avoid an escalation that could involve all of these services.

In response, Prime Minister Luc Mercelina, who was at the time in a seperate meeting in Parliament and was asked by MP Sarah Wescot-Williams about the ongoing union meeting, said the government has been engaging in timely and respectful written exchanges with the union and asserted that the administration has agreed to the union’s requests.

The Prime Minister said government has been in active, timely correspondence with the Fire Department and its union. He noted that the union requested a response within 48 hours, and that government met this deadline, sending a letter on November 6 following an earlier letter dated October 24. According to the Prime Minister, government agrees with the requests set out by the Fire Department, a position already conveyed in the October 24 letter and reiterated on November 6. He added that, given this stance, there is no reason for a go-slow, and that exchanges between government and the union have been respectful throughout.

Cangieter however, pressed for a binding commitment letter that locks in three points the union says have been on the table for months: correct placement of firefighters in the function book, recognition of career lines, and retroactive effect where the law and prior decisions support it. She said government messaging is inconsistent, with one side suggesting the function book is closed and another suggesting it can be revisited, and she asked for a clear commitment.

She cited the March 3, 2017 measure that she says permits retroactive placements to October 10, 2010, and pointed to earlier administrative decisions, including a 2003 agreement signed by then Lieutenant Governor Franklin Richards and union leader William Reed, as part of the basis for corrections. She stressed that not every correction changes pay, some are recognition and placement issues, and the union has offered to help identify financial implications to remove bottlenecks. The firefighters’ go-slow dates to April 14. Ambulance personnel heightened their go-slow this week by limiting responses to specific A2 calls. Fire personnel signaled solidarity. Cangieter tied the urgency to high season and to the immediate needs of residents.

MP Omar Ottley thanked emergency workers for continuing to respond despite the dispute and framed the standoff as a test of respect and credibility. He said the unions are asking for a straightforward written commitment with a clear time frame, and that months of meetings have moved the goalposts without producing signatures. He pledged to request an urgent public meeting of Parliament and said that if the matter is not resolved he will support tabling a motion of no confidence. “Fix it now, or else,” he said, arguing that St. Maarten cannot enter the busy tourism period with ambulance, fire, prison, Coast Guard, CPS, police, teachers, and airport services unsettled.

Ottley linked the current tension to service continuity, warning that a full escalation would have real operational consequences. He pointed to the airport and harbor as critical pressure points, noting that if fire services at the airport join in solidarity, flight operations would be affected, and that air traffic and immigration slowdowns would ripple across arrivals and departures. He stressed that the goal is not to create panic, but to secure a signed commitment so first responders can focus on public safety heading into high season.

Drawing on his past tenure overseeing parts of the health portfolio, Ottley said he previously worked with the ambulance department on practical checklists and acknowledged that not every item could be fixed at once, but progress was made. He argued that this is precisely why a written agreement now is essential, so immediate administrative fixes can proceed while longer term issues continue through the proper channels. He closed by telling workers that the opposition will hold government accountable and that he expects a concrete timetable that restores confidence and keeps essential services fully available.

MP Francisco Lacroes went further and plainly suggested that they do strike. "I don't want to seem like a radical, but I think there is no other option," he said. "So you know what, let's close it down. Let's all of us go on strike." The MP said he could not understand why the matter remains unresolved after unions engaged Parliament earlier in the year. He asked what must happen next to force progress and said that if meetings keep repeating the same points without decisions, collective action will be the only remaining avenue. He urged workers to stand firm "else nothing is going to happen."

MP Darryl York told attendees that the dispute is long-standing and that Parliament has often been told one thing while workers report another. He referenced statements made in Parliament on Thursday morning that all agreements with the union had been agreed on and approved and said that did not match what unions described in the room. York said the opposition is accessible and engaged, and he committed to pushing inside and outside Parliament for resolution. He also underscored the confusion created when the information Parliament receives does not square with what unions say at the bargaining table.

Cangieter, for her part, maintained that the core issue is a signed, binding commitment that captures retroactivity where applicable, fixes placements, and recognizes career lines in writing. She said repeated references to appeals or future research do not resolve the immediate points and that negotiators at the table must be empowered to sign. She linked the demand to real conditions faced by workers who are covering long shifts and to retirees who, she said, were not properly acknowledged.

The union wants government to separate immediate administrative fixes from longer term reforms. Correct placement, career line recognition, and settled retroactivity, where applicable, should be signed now, while broader covenant items on working time, prevention, and safety move on the legislative track. The union stresses that many current requests are about correctness and respect, not across-the-board raises. Ambulance staff, who have similar grievances, are watching how the fire service is treated. The union warns of a domino effect across emergency services if confidence is not restored.

She thanked the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) and the ABVO Police Union for their presence and support. The leadership of these unions expressed solidarity and shared that they too have their own challenges with the government

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