BML Employees Satisfied With New Financial Agreement

Audrey Matura-Shepherd

And for final word on the matter…at least for now, News Five spoke to Audrey Matura-Shepherd, the attorney for the BML workers. She worked all day Monday to get them out of lockdown, and all day Tuesday to get them processed in court. But with those legal issues in the past, she says that the workers are happy with the new financial and employment security.

Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Attorney for BML Workers

“The workers have been given a lot of promises, and I think these are promises that can be fulfilled and will be fulfilled. Definitely the first immediate benefit is that we were presented with a document which shows that the Ministry of Finance has committed thirty-five thousand dollars a week only for their salaries, for one hundred and seventy workers. When we showed them, they were very happy with that. Some of them asked the next logical question which is…we will have our salaries every week…will the company have the money to keep on operating, for fuel and items like that. I told them that from that aspect we cannot speak, however I am sure that the management will be working that out with the City Council to get their arrears paid because the workers logically said – well we can get our salaries, but if the company cannot operate then that comes out to nothing.”

BML owner Lawrence Ellis told us that as early as Friday he is expecting a concrete payment proposal from Mayor Darrell Bradley. We’ll be sure to check back to see if he actually gets it.