Court rules Virgin Islands government wrongly cut union members pay
GARDENDALE, USA -- Reversing the US District Court for the Virgin Islands, a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the government of the US Virgin Islands acted illegally in passing the Virgin Islands Economic Stability Act of 2011 (VIESA) to respond to a budget crisis during the last recession.
Among other measures, VIESA cut the wages of most government employees by eight percent despite the fact that many employees' wages were set in union contracts.
The United Steelworkers (USW), which represents approximately 2,000 employees in the US Virgin Islands, filed a lawsuit contending that VIESA violated the US constitution's contracts clause by cutting wages below those specified in the unions' contracts with the government. The contracts clause protects against government actions impairing contracts, particularly contracts to which the government is a party.
"This is a victory for all government workers of the Virgin Islands," said USW District 9 director Daniel Flippo. "The USW stands totally committed in fighting for the rights of our members."
Read more: http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Court-rules-USVI-wrongly-cut-union-members-pay-32544.html
