Union gives government 48 hours after reply to PM’s Oct. 24 letter, Fire Department nearing the end of their patience

GREAT BAY--The WICSU-PSU union, representing the Fire Department of St. Maarten, will give government 48 hours to issue a written commitment once the union submits its formal response to a letter received from Prime Minister Luc Mercelina on October 24. Union President Sharon Cangieter described the October 24 letter as disrespectful, it does not tackle the department’s priority grievances, and it contains no concrete commitments. The 48-hour clock will start once that reply is delivered and the go-slow remains in place.

According to the union and the personnel, despite their best efforts and patience, nothing has happened to address the reasons the Fire Department started its go-slow action in April this year. "The disrespect continues and it is now getting to a breaking point," they said. "There is no trust and we get the impression that the government believes we are joking." Cangieter  credit to Minister of Public Health Richinel Brug who did what he had to in advancing the issue for the Ambulance Department personnel. However, they too are now awaiting follow-up action from the Prime Minister to finally complete a process and fulfil what's due to emergency services personnel.  

The union wants a binding commitment to place firefighters in the correct functions and salary scales, with retroactive effect where applicable. The cabinet’s phrasing about whether workers “believe” they are entitled to retroactivity is, in the union’s view, a refusal to commit. The union notes this point has been the trigger of the go-slow since April 14, when they say government first signaled resistance to retroactivity.

The union says government previously agreed that specific actors would not be involved in talks, yet the latest meetings included representatives who arrived with pre-written positions that appeared to come from the Prime Minister. The union argues this turns negotiations into one-way briefings, not bargaining. They want government to stick to the agreed table, with negotiators who are empowered to make decisions.

Respectful two-way communication was set as a first principle. The union says multiple meetings have repeated the same points without decisions or signed commitments. They want immediate movement on straightforward matters, such as clear notices to staff about planned placements and practical steps that do not require law changes.

The union points to a 2003 decision signed by then Lieutenant Governor Franklin Richards and former union leader Mr. Williams Reed as evidence that placement and function matters have a basis in earlier agreements. They also reference internal guidance and prior administrative practice that, in their view, support retroactive corrections. Their position is that government should acknowledge these records and commit in writing.

The union and its Fire Department members stress that what is being asked of government now, in their view, should not take this long. The broader covenant which they submitted months ago, includes matters that require longer terms discussions and actions. However, retroactive payments, correct placing and function book finalization is not hampered by this. The covenant includes law updates on working time, prevention, and safety. The union accepts that legislative changes take time. Their demand is to separate immediate, low-cost administrative fixes from long-term reforms, and to lock in those immediate fixes with a signed commitment now.

The union stresses that many requests are about correct placement and recognition, not large pay increases. Some corrections have no salary impact. Others require retroactive calculations. The union offered to help identify potential financial implications, to remove a bottleneck and move the process forward.

In the meantime, the union says the Ambulance Department has similar grievances which has, in part, been addressed by Minister Brug with outstanding matters now to be handled by the prime Minister and General affairs. Ambulance staff are observing how the Fire Department is treated. The union warns of a domino effect, and says the current approach to the Fire Department is undermining confidence across emergency services.

Fire personnel want the public to know that while they honor their duty to the community, they are also human beings who study, upgrade their skills, and carry out vital functions as firefighters. They said they have heard dismissive comments from persons in government such as “all they do is sit around and play dominoes” or “the only thing they do is throw a little water on a fire,” and they stress that their work is far more complex. Much of their professional upgrading is done personally without government support.

In several cases they have trained colleagues who hold higher ranks, and they have watched people they trained on other islands advance because those services place staff in the proper scales and functions. They said it is embarrassing to sit in meetings with peers of equal responsibility while wearing uniforms that show lower ranks. The embarrassment has gotten so intolerable that some now wear casual Fire Department polo shirts to avoid displaying rank.

The public should also know the Fire Department consists of Repression, Material Logistics, Disaster Management, Prevention, Planning, and Education, and advancement in each area requires courses, study hours, inspections, and frequent meetings. They are often on calls with architects and developers abroad who need Fire Department approvals for plans and drawings in St. Maarten. Public awareness will be improved through future outreach, but government has no excuse for keeping personnel in the current state.

A consistent and recurring theme is the lack respect shown to the Fire Department personnel by the government. The union says the first principle agreed was respectful communication. They argue that bringing negotiators with fixed positions from the Prime Minister, or framing entitlements as beliefs, breaks that principle. Their position: keep talks at a table where both sides can decide, record any agreement in writing, and start implementing.

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