Aug. 13, 2003 – At a Senate Labor and Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on Friday, union leader Ralph Mandrew suggested two actions that he said would help the Labor Department in dealing with what he termed unfair labor practices by Economic Development Commission beneficiaries.
Mandrew, president of the Virgin Islands Workers Union, called for a review of EDC certificates and for amending them to impose stiffer fines on beneficiaries found to be in violation of their terms, according to a release from the Legislature. He also urged the amending of V.I. labor laws and enforcement of laws that are on the books.
Also, Nadene Marchena, assistant chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority, "testified in regards to allegations of non-compliance on the part of beneficiaries participating in the EDC program," the release said.
In other testimony, Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin provided the committee with an overview of the "operations and staffing needs of his department," the release stated.
Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste asked Benjamin about the status and functions of the Hearing and Appeals Division and Workers' Compensation Division.
Committee members present for the hearing on St. Croix were Sens. Norman Jn Baptiste, the chair; and Sens. Louis Hill and Usie Richards. Absent were Sens. Douglas Canton Jr. and Celestino A. White Sr.
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