Introduction 

The Bahamas Communications & Public Officers Union is a registered Trade Union in accordance with the Industrial Relations Act 1970. At present it represents employees at the Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation and the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas. There are approximately one thousand four hundred (1400) in the Union with almost eleven hundred employed at Batelco. Union members are stationed in every Family Island where there is a Batelco installation. The registered office of the Union is located in the chambers of Mckinney, Turner & Co. and the Union Headquarters is located on Farrington Road in the city of Nassau on the Island of New Providence, Commonwealth of the Bahamas. 

How It All Began

In early 1974 the employees of the Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation were members of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU). The over eight hundred workers at Batelco, felt that they were not getting proper representation from the then president of the BPSU,  Mr. Tadeaus Darling. The Union’s branch chairman, at the time, Mrs. Willamae Bridgewater, and a number of other members met at the home of Mrs. Bridgewater and decided to form a union to represent employees at Batelco. They decided to name the organization the Bahamas Communications & Public Officers Union. With the help of a number of strong and dedicated men and women, Mrs. Bridgewater was successful in attracting a large amount of the employees at the Corporation to sign up to join the Union.  Mr. Vance Major and Mr. Brazil McDonald took a week vacation and went to the personnel department of the Corporation and confirmed that the union had more than 51% of the employees of the Corporation. On April 9, 1974 at a general meeting of the Union the first constitution of the Union was adopted. The founding officers were President Mrs. Willamae Bridgewater, Vice-President Mr. Vance Major, Secretary General Mr. Earl Bowleg and Treasurer Mr. George Burrows. The initial admission fee was $2.00 and the monthly dues were $1.00. Mr. Colin Johnson designed the first logo of the Union and this symbol is still used today. Other persons that were instrumental in the formation and growth of the Union were P. Elton Pickstock, McPherson Williams, Carolyn Hanna, Roscow Davies, Harold Carter, Ellison Bain, Winifred Thompson, Idena Burrows, Arthur Williamson, Charles Bethel and Keith Archer. Other presidents of the Union were Mr. Vance Major, Mr. Charles Bethel, Mr. Keith Archer, Mrs. Idena Burrows and Mr. Shane Gibson. In May 2002 Mr. Shane Gibson was elected to the House of assembly and subsequently tendered his resignation as President. Today Mr. Robert Farquharson servers as Acting President until the triennial Convention that is schedule for June 2003 when a new president will be elected.