Elena Smith, First Belizean CUT Executive Member

Former President of the Belize National Teachers Union, Senator Elena Smith, has recently been elected as the Second Vice-President of the Caribbean Union of Teachers. She is the first Belizean to be elected to executive of CUT. A trade unionist for more than three decades, Smith told us what this latest achievement means for her.

Elena Smith

Elena Smith, Former President, B.N.T.U.

“The Caribbean Union of Teachers is our umbrella union organization, similar to how we have the NTUCB in Belize, that is for the Caribbean and we look at all the teachers across the Caribbean. So, I have been quite active in the CUT. I served on several committees. I started going to the CUT I think in the 90’s finding my way and trying to learn from them as a young trade unionist, what were the ways that I could improve my branch at the time, Belize branch and what were the ways I could network with the other Caribbean persons. So I think my work serving on the various committees, the women’s committee, elections committee, and culture committee would have caused persons to see the work I do. My participations in the sessions we have would have led them to see what I am capable of that has led them to have a level of appreciation of the work I do. So when I was asked by several unions in the Caribbean to vie for a position I thought about it and said I would try. So I did and I was lucky to have been elected.”