Photo: Ruth Shoman, president-elect BNTU

BNTU’s president-elect, Ruth Shoman, in a post on social media following the election, stated, “The true victory lies on the outcomes of very serious issues that lie ahead. Increments, Pension Reform, Tax Reform, Proposal 22, Curriculum, Revision of Education Rules among others.” 

by Marco Lopez 

BELMOPAN, Mon. Apr. 17, 2023

In its 53 years of activity, the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) has only elected two female presidents – the outgoing president, Senator Elena Smith, and the president-elect, who was voted in last Thursday, Ruth Shoman. On July 3 of this year, Shoman will officially assume the national presidency of the union – following a stellar 7-year tenure of Smith. Shoman, a career educator turned activist, joined the union’s executive as National Secretary in April 2017, and has been immersed in the activities of the union since then. 

Shoman is a Belizean-born native of the Corozal District who has been in the teaching profession for over 20 years. In her hometown of Corozal, she served as the president of the Scouts Association, guided by a passion for working with youth. At the Corozal Community College, she managed the marching band as a part of a program to engage youths through music. Over 10 years that band won 5 national championships, and recently, the Ruth Shoman Award for Bandfest was officially inaugurated to recognize band directors who teach students to read sheet music. 

In 2018, Shoman facilitated a report writing workshop for police on behalf of the BNTU. This is following the spike in violent crimes against women and children in that year and the subsequent march and rally carried out in Belmopan by the BNTU membership. Following meetings with stakeholders and presentations of measures to curb the crime situation at the time, a four-week session with police was spearheaded by Shoman and ACP Howell Gillett. 

As a member of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), she represents the umbrella organization on the Social Security Board.

Shoman’s work in activism touched various spheres, as she worked alongside Smith unwaveringly over her own 7-year tenure. During that time, significant progress was made on various fronts, including the drafting of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, whose Proposal 22 is still pending approval.  

As the National Secretary of BNTU, she collaborated closely with Senator Smith to organize several large-scale demonstrations throughout the country in recent years and in concert with other solutions. Her platform today is focused on equipping negotiators with the skills and education needed to sit at the table with stakeholders – and forging a collaborative relationship, as opposed to an adversarial one with those partners. This is to ensure the best outcomes for members when the union is at the negotiation table. 

She has said that the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered global changes to which teachers in Belize will also have to adapt. “We are educators and the times have changed. I think the pandemic taught the whole world a lesson and after every pandemic, things change. B.N.T.U. as well, our past leaders have set a very solid foundation for us and it is up to us now to continue building on that,” Shoman stated last Thursday evening following the results of the election. 

“Recognize, realize, that she is going to be beside me. She is going to be beside me until I move away, and then she leads the union,” Senator Elena Smith said after the outcome of the election was known. “And so I know that you all are contented, with your decision today, and so I trust that sister Ruth will deliver on the promises,” Smith further said.

As for moving forward, Shoman said that the union has serious work to do, “We have a pension reform that is right around, it’s hitting us. We need to sit down and start preparing for these issues. We have to look at tax reform, we have to look at the amendments necessary in the Education Rules, the Education Act. We have to seriously think about the functions of the Teaching Service Commission and how we can step it up to ensure that teachers are further protected through legislation. So for my membership, we have a lot of work to do, and in my platform, I believe in inclusion and so I’ll be coming to my teachers who are retired if you have not been involved in BNTU. You’ve been away, I am going to be calling you out because I believe in having that history that those who have left BNTU and may just be at home, I’ll be knocking on your door—all of us, all members, bring something to the table so that together we can properly negotiate for all our members.”

She shared that one of the principles of her platform is greater engagement with the union’s membership and a tempered approach to media engagement on private union issues.

“I love the media. I’ve worked with the media, but I think the media is to be used accordingly, and we have, I think BNTU has a very good relationship with the media, but the business of BNTU is the business of BNTU, and for me to reach to my membership, I didn’t need the media. I needed the one on one, and to me, that was very important to be able to communicate with my members in my own way through the means that BNTU provides, because that shows that we are connecting with our members. I’ll go to the media when it’s necessary to go and I will keep the business of the union within the business of the union,” Shoman expressed. 

Also elected to the new BNTU executive are Jorge Mejia, reelected as 1st Vice president; Bay Rivas as National Secretary, and Keisha Williams as Treasurer.