‘The president ... was fully aware’

WESTERN BUREAU:

Contrary to the belief that former Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) president La Sonja Harrison had not approved of the wage agreement signed with the Government in 2023, outgoing JTA president Leighton Johnson said that Harrison had indeed authorised the signing of the agreement.

Harrison had filed a lawsuit against the JTA after the signing of the agreement, contending that the organisation’s special delegates’ decision to accept a salary offer from the Government, during a virtual meeting in March 2023, was in breach of the JTA’s constitution.

Johnson made the disclosure during his farewell address to delegates at the association’s 60th annual conference at the Ocean Coral Spring Hotel, in Trelawny, on Monday night.

“I was entrusted with the enormous responsibility to act in the best interest of our members, ensuring that their rights and welfare were upheld in every decision made. My decision to sign the wage agreement between the Government of Jamaica and the JTA is rooted in those responsibilities,” Johnson explained to the delegates.

According to Johnson, the signing of the wage agreement, which has subsequently become a divisive issue within the ranks of the JTA, was not a rogue action on his part but was done within the requisite legal frame with the blessing of Harrison.

“It is essential to clarify that the authority to sign the agreement on March 13, 2023, was duly granted to me by the then-sitting president of the JTA in accordance with the articles and memorandums of the association,” said Johnson.

“The president at the time was fully aware of the significance of the agreement and the ongoing negotiations, and conferred this authority to ensure that the process would not be delayed and that the interest of our members would be safeguarded without interruption.”

Harrison’s lawsuit against the JTA contends that the decision to accept the Government’s three-year wage agreement, which took place through a virtual special delegates’ vote, was in breach of the JTA’s constitution. According to section 14 of the constitution, votes should be taken by an assembly of delegates in a physical location and not virtually.

Interestingly, Harrison admitted in the lawsuit that it was her decision to hold the conference, at which the vote was taken, in the virtual space. However, she stated that this was based on advice from the JTA secretariat, and that online meetings and conferences were the common practice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time of the contract-signing, Harrison walked out of the signing ceremony, which took place at the Ministry of Finance, leaving other representatives of the JTA to sign.

Johnson told the meeting that the decision to accept the wage offer came after consultations with multiple stakeholders, including members of the JTA.

DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS

“The decision to sign was not taken lightly. The wage agreement in question represented a culmination of expensive decisions, discussions and negotiations, and consultations with various stakeholders, including the Government, educators and the JTA,” explained Johnson. “Throughout this process, our primary focus was on achieving a fair and just settlement that addressed the need of our teachers, including the issues of compensation, allowances, and work conditions.”

The contentious matter seems poised to continue to linger within the ranks of the JTA, as during his inaugural address, the association’s new president, Dr Mark Smith, said that he agreed with Harrison’s decision not to sign the wage agreement, citing the ongoing concern about teachers migrating for better-paying jobs overseas.

“I voted with [former] President Harrison against the salary packages…I believe fundamentally that it was unjust and not in the best interest of the vast majority of our teachers,” said Smith. “If we want the migration issue to stop, pay our teachers better.”

Interestingly, Harrison, who was among the attendees at the conference, declined to comment on the matter when she was approached for a comment by The Gleaner.