Photo: New BNTU National President Ruth Shoman during one of her Facebook “lives” she commits to do regularly
Controversy surrounding new BNTU prez reaches regional teachers’ body
BELIZE CITY, Thu. July 13, 2023
An unrelenting group of 25 teachers who are challenging the legitimacy of Ruth Shoman’s presidency at the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) took things up a notch when they wrote the regional umbrella organization for teachers, the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) to ask that regional body to investigate Shoman’s legitimacy as president. The CUT describes itself as an umbrella body for teachers in the Caribbean. It was established on August 21, 1935 but was not officially registered until October 12, 2015 in St. Lucia under that country’s Labour Act that allows the CUT “to operate as a full-fledged Trade Union and to exercise trade union rights and responsibilities under the law.”
Following the members’ letter on July 9, Shoman hit back by having the union write the CUT on July 10 to indicate that the BNTU had not authorized any member to communicate directly with the CUT. The letter, signed by the Union’s Executive Secretary, notified that body that official communication from the Union would come through the proper channels.
The group of teachers, who say they are getting ready to take the matter to court, has called on the president of CUT, Dr. Garth Anderson, to have the CUT intervene and conduct “a proper and objective review” into the matter. They base their request on “possible serious infractions during the election process and thereafter.” They affirmed that Shoman’s election on April 13, 2023 was achieved “under a veil of secrecy” regarding her past, and also noted what potentially could be her failure to meet the requirement of being in active service. In the letter, the teachers again make reference to the court order of 2000 against Shoman concerning the repayment of monies that went missing from a company for which she worked in San Pedro. Shoman has explained that the incident was all part of gender-based violence that she was subject to at the time during her marriage, and that when she consented to a repayment, it was under duress, since she was told that the sooner she got that over with, the sooner she could be with her children.
Explaining the active service requirement to the CUT president, the teachers note that Rule III (A)(1) of the BNTU’s Constitution states, “Members shall consist of all persons so accepted and designated by the Union and shall be classified as follows: (a)(i) Teachers in active service in a public or private educational institution approved by the Union.” According to the teachers, Shoman has reported that she is employed as a facilitator with a U.S. government entity but has not provided proof.
The teachers tell Anderson in the letter that it is arguable that if members had prior knowledge of Shoman’s history, it would have made a difference in the results of the BNTU election that led to her presidency. However, they said that suppressing the information now “smacks of gross deception and lack of transparency to our Members. This is contrary to the tenet of unionism and warrants that a referendum be held to determine whether Members accept the outcome of the elections or re-elections should be held for the post of President.”
The teachers explained that concerns expressed by individual teachers were ignored, and so, along with some members of the Council of Management, they wrote the Council, which they say has reneged on its obligation to “exercise due diligence in ascertaining whether Mrs. Shoman is ‘in active service’”. The teachers added in their letter that the Council refuses to instruct Shoman to present an employment letter from the educational institution for which she claims to work. Their letter states, “Additionally, they unconstitutionally decided that Mrs. Shoman does not have to present an employment letter, which is a routine procedure necessary to substantiate that she satisfies the condition stipulated in BNTU’s Constitution, that of being ‘in active service’.” As a result, the group of teachers say they had no other option but to go to the CUT to seek a remedy.
Previous letters from the Council of Management indeed point to a reversal of position on the need to seek proof of employment from Shoman. In a letter on June 26, the Council of Management told members it would request the letter of employment from Shoman. Reports are that then BNTU president Elena Smith proceeded to do just that. But in a subsequent letter (dated July 3), after Shoman had already taken up her post, members were informed that there was no agreement on that point during the relevant meeting and so Shoman would not be asked to produce an employment letter. The teachers view this as the Council simply protecting Shoman.
When Shoman went live on Facebook on her first day in her new role on July 1, something she has committed to do regularly, she addressed the questions surrounding her legitimacy. At that time, the group of teachers had issued a second release raising, for the first time, the issue about her employment. Shoman asserted that she has been placed in this position not to bring anything other than unity, and that for over 15 years, since she initially became involved in union work as a staff representative, she has always put the best interest of members before anything else. Addressing the controversy, she stated, “As it pertains to all the incidents that have been going back and forth, what I will say is that whatever is out there was something that transpired when I was a teenager, quarter of a century ago, and long before I became a teacher. I know that holding this position opens myself to attacks, and that is ok. We live in a democratic country, and everyone is entitled to have a voice. I don’t plan on silencing anyone’s voice…but I will also not waste any precious time in trying to answer to things that don’t help the union and will not push the work of the union further either.” The group of teachers then clapped back, challenging her stated age when the incident occurred, and affirming she was nearing her mid-twenties, when she was accused of embezzlement.
After the teachers wrote the CUT, we reached out to Shoman, who directed us to a Facebook live she did Wednesday, July 12. She opened by stating, “I think every time I’m here to communicate with those I serve, there is always some noise happening out there. And I just want to keep saying to those who elected me to serve and entrusted the work of the union in my hands, that I will not allow the noise to distract the real work that needs to get done at BNTU. I will continue steadfast on what you elected me to do. I will not allow the sensationalism happening out there to distract me, because you deserve better. You deserve to be served; you are going through quite a lot of issues. I know it, I’m seeing it, and that’s what you put me to do in this place, this office where I’m sitting right now. And I will not move away from that. No matter what blows come my way, I believe that you are worth taking the blows — and I will not lie, I am human, I’m a mom, I’m a woman, and I have to say, a recent widow, so it’s not been easy. But one thing unionism teaches us, is that we need to stand strong, and what has kept me going, I must say, is the outpouring of support and kindness from you all and from the community.” She acknowledged that there were moments when she felt she was falling into a big hole, but the voices of positivity helped her to get out. She admitted too, that it won’t be an easy road, as she feels that “every week something new is up.” She shared that the latest stirring of controversy is due to a trip to Jamaica that she and four others will be taking on Friday to represent the BNTU as an affiliate of the CUT.
The group of teachers has indicated that they are not precluded from writing directly to the CUT, and that their e-mails were answered. They say they are optimistic that the CUT will intervene.
The controversy has seen teachers on opposite sides of the fence, with some berating the group of teachers for pursuing the matter, saying it only serves to divide the union. In their view, the group should let bygones be bygones. Others, like the small group which points to Shoman’s adamant refusal to submit her employment letter, have asked why Shoman simply does not provide the letter of employment so that the matter can be put to rest.
Today, the Union issued a statement to members titled “BNTU Internal Matters Being Aired in Public Forums.” It informs that the Council has been addressing the issues raised by the 25 concerned teachers. It reports that the Council held an Emergency Special meeting on Wednesday, July 12 chaired by 1st Vice President Jorge Mejia. Union members are then informed that “several steps were agreed upon with the aim of resolving this matter by the end of July.” They are then asked to allow the process to take its course and for them to refrain from making “further inflammatory remarks or attacking fellow members, officers and/or legal bodies of the Union in ANY public and/or BNTU forums.” The statement also reminds members of the article in the Constitution which states that the BNTU’s Code of Ethics governs all members and that any member who “abuses his rights and privileges may be subject to disciplinary actions” under the Union’s By-laws and Regulations. The letter highlights the clause which states that, “As a union member, I shall not wilfully misrepresent the Union to the public.” The statement ends with the acknowledgement that this is a difficult process and an apology that it has reached this stage. The Council then expresses confidence that the matter will be resolved in due course and it also commits to put in place the necessary structures and mechanisms to prevent a similar situation from happening again.