The IAM Union has posted the following news item.
Members and officials from the Seafarers-affiliated United Industrial Workers (UIW) will participate in the event (the UIW represents thousands of workers in the U.S. Virgin Islands).
According to reliable sources, the local government has stalled all collective bargaining and grievance-processing; some worksites remain moldy or otherwise in need of repairs; and the legislated minimum wage for all government employees remains unfunded, among other concerns.
IAM Union to Participate Public Action Supporting Forgotten USVI Essential Workers During Governor Bryan’s State of Territory Address
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, St. Thomas, Jan. 23, 2025 – The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) will take part in a public action on the evening of Monday, Jan. 26 outside Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s State of the Territory address to demand fair contracts and raises for essential hospital and clinic security officers who have been ignored by government leadership for years. Other unions and workers will also participate to highlight similar issues with workers.
Since 2021, approximately 40 IAM-represented security officers at U.S. Virgin Islands hospitals and clinics have worked without a collective bargaining agreement or wage increases. This prolonged injustice stems from the Virgin Islands government—specifically the Office of Collective Bargaining (OCB) and the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB)—failing to meet its legal obligation to negotiate contracts and resolve grievances.
These essential workers protect patients, health care staff, and the public in highly stressful and often dangerous environments. Yet they have been denied fair treatment while the cost of living continues to rise across the islands. The IAM Union represents security guards at Schneider Regional Medical Center and Eldra Schulterbrandt in St. Thomas, as well as Juan F. Luis Hospital and Charles Harwood Clinic in St. Croix.
WATCH: IAM Union Members Urge Government for Overdue Contract Negotiations
“The IAM Union is calling on the governor and the Virgin Islands legislature to do the right thing—fix the OCB and PERB, honor the law, respect collective bargaining rights, and deliver fair contracts and raises to the essential workers who keep our island moving,” said IAM Southern Territory Special Representative John Vigueras. “This public action gives government leadership a clear opportunity to stand with their constituents at a pivotal moment for the future of the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
WHAT: Public action by the IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) in support of approximately 40 essential security officers working at U.S. Virgin Islands hospitals and clinics.
WHO: IAM Union members, labor and community allies, and supporters of U.S. Virgin Islands essential workers
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Outside the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chamber, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across North America.
