C.W.U. Elects Leonora Flowers as New President
Leonora Flowers
Over the weekend a new president was elected to serve the Christian Workers Union for the next term. Leonora Flowers has been a trade unionist for the past twenty-eight years, working at the Social Security Board as the C.W.U.’s representative, before retiring in October 2022. Flowers remains passionate about unionism even in retirement and when the opportunity came about for her to vie for the leadership of the C.W.U., she readily offered herself. On Saturday, the C.W.U. held its annual general meeting where Flowers and career stevedore Mark Middleton ran for the office of president. She succeeds immediate past president Evan ‘Mose’ Hyde and takes up the mantle at a critical juncture as the union continues its fight to safeguard the livelihood of waterfront workers. Earlier today, News Five sat down with the newly-elected C.W.U. president.
Leonora Flowers, President, Christian Workers Union
“I am a Belizean at heart. I am passionate about service to my people. I have been a, I’m told then that I have been a good chief of my union. I fight the causes of our members and I made sure that our CBA was respected and that’s the same vigor that I’m going to bring to this presidency.”
Isani Cayetano
“You come at a time when there’s a lot taking place with the union, more so with the stevedores. I know that the union represents more than just the waterfront workers, but theirs, for whatever reason, happens to be the most prominent of issues to be covered by the union. Talk to us about coming onboard at this time as the president of the C.W.U.”
Leonora Flowers
“No scare. I’m not fazed. I’m prepared for the challenge. It is another matter under the union and we’re going to meet it head on. The fight continues for CWU to ensure that the rights and the CBA of the waterfront workers is honored and their rights are respected as Belizeans in Belize and that is what we’re going to make sure to put forward. We’re not backing down.”
Isani Cayetano
“The C.W.U., because of the nature of the issues that waterfront workers are faced with, with their employer, the union has, perhaps, for other people, this image of being confrontational and abrasive. It may not necessarily be so with other members of the union, but how do you dispel that notion? How do you address the fact that perhaps, it’s only certain issues that you guys have to come out strongly in favor of or against, as opposed to the overall image of the union?”
Leonora Flowers
“The stevedores have gotten, as the committee members like to say, the most of the bandwidth recently, the most of everything. It is because they deserve it. They are the people who are most challenged at the moment, so we have to respond in that way. If it seems that we are confrontational, we have to meet it head-on. So, I think, going down the road, that should be ameliorated to a point as soon as our cases in the court are dispelled and so on. So I’m not worried how the confrontation continues. If it has to be confrontational where the union is then that’s what it will be.”
The annual general meeting also saw the unanimous approval of an amendment to the C.W.U.’s constitution to allow for the establishment of the new post of special advisor. With one voice, outgoing president Mose Hyde was voted to that seat on the executive board.
