Jacqueline Jack was elected President in November 2007. She has been associated with the Trade Union Movement for the past 33 years. In 1998, she was elected 2nd Vice President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and served as Chairperson of the Women's Council of CCL for several years. She is General Secretary since 1997 of the NUGFW, Trinidad and Tobago and is the longest serving Officer having been elected in 1982 as the 2nd Deputy General Secretary and 1st Deputy General Secretary in 1988.

Protecting rights of workers

During the past 26 years Jack fearlessly protected and defended the rights of the membership and workers generally. She also engages in community work rendering assistance to the less fortunate, and is a sports enthusiast having been an international Lawn Tennis Umpire and loves cricket, table-tennis, lawn tennis and football.

Ms Jack served as an active member on several Committees during her Trade Union career, such as:

At present, Ms. Jack represents CCL on the Caribbean Tripartite Council, which is responsible for developing a Regional Policy on HIV/AIDS to be used throughout the Caribbean region. She is also involved in educating and training workers on this issue of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support, and overcoming Stigma/Discrimination of those affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.

Jacqueline Jack holds a Diploma in Industrial Relations and participated in several Training Programs, which dealt with Personal Development, Leadership/Train the Trainers.

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Prior to pursuing a career in trade unionism Mr. Lewis worked in the Guyana Bauxite Industry. He brings more than 25 years' experience as a trade unionist to the position of General Secretary. Prior to being elected General Secretary (November 2007) he was elected President for two terms (2001-2007).

Labour Positions Held

• 1998 -2008 - Vice President, ORIT (Inter American Organisation of Workers)
• 1998 - Present, General Secretary, Guyana Trades Union Congress
• 1981 - Present General Secretary, Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union

Achievements

Lewis served as a Workers' Representative on several Boards and Councils in Guyana, and a member of the Trade Union Delegation in the International Labour Organisation Committee that developed the Convention on Open Cast Mines. He has made several presentations at regional and international fora, including the World Social Forum, CARICOM, the University of the West Indies, National Coalition on Caribbean Affairs, and United Nations Human Rights Commission.

He guided the development of the Caribbean Congress of Labour's economic model-Labour Platform- which serves as Labour's guide for regional development. Elements of this Platform are embraced by CARICOM agencies.

Lewis is a graduate of Bookers Training Center (Guyana), Seneca College (Canada), Critchlow Labour College (Guyana), the University of Guyana, and George Meany College (USA).

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Dane Alexis Conroy Massiah was elected First President in November, 2007. He worked as News Reporter/Journalist in the Antigua Broadcasting Service Radio/TV from 1984 to 1986, and Industrial Relations Officer, Antigua & Barbuda Workers' Union (AWU) from 1986-2002.

Massiah has certificates from the Caribbean Examination Council and ICDL, International Labour Organisation.

In 1996 he was elected by the AWU as Executive Member Trustee, serving until 2002; Education Co-ordinator from 1994-2004; and General Secretary from 2000 to present.

Trade Union education
Massiah was educated at Christ the King High School and Antigua Grammar School, Antigua. He has pursued trade union education from the George Meany, USA; British Trade Union Congress; International Labour Organisation; University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Jamaica, Trade Union Education Institute; UWI, Trinidad & Tobago; CTUC, ITF; and IUF.

He has pursued courses in Trade Union Education, Labour Policy Development, HIV/AIDS, Labour Economics, Information Technology, and Institutional Strengthening.

Skilled in Labour disputes
Massiah is skilled in Labour Disputes and negotiating Collective Agreement. As Education Coordinator he held responsibility for planning and running the Union's education and training programmes; PC base information system and the union printery and publications.

In 2004 Massiah was appointed Senator in the Antigua & Barbuda Parliament representing the Trade Union Congress in the Upper House.

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Chris Furbert was elected Administrative Committee Member in November, 2007. He served the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) for most of his adult working life. In 1995 he was elected as 1st Vice President. Prior to that he served for eight years as BIU 2nd Vice President and 15 years as President of the Portworkers Division.

Leadership training
Educated at Northlands Primary School and Robert Crawford School, he also completed several leadership courses at the George Meany Centre for Labor Studies, USA, the University of the West Indies and other labor training institutions.

For the past ten (10) years Furbert has been a member of the Bermuda Labour Advisory Council. On four occasions he represented the Bermuda Industrial Union at the International Labour Organisation conferences in Geneva, Switzerland and several other labour conferences both locally and overseas.

Negotiation skills
Furbert is well known for his negotiating skills and has been involved in several successful arbitration hearings for the Union during the past two years. He headed the BIU's negotiating team for new collective bargaining agreements with the island's largest employer, the Bermuda Government.

Furbert is also very involved in the Warwick community where he grew up and has been a member of the Pembroke Hamilton Club for the past 40 years and president for the past nine. In 2003 Furbert was a candidate for the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party in Constituency 26.

On March 17, 2006 Brother Chris was elected President of the Bermuda Industrial Union at their Quadrennial Delegates Conference.

Chris Furbert is married to Tracey Sharieff and is father to five children.

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Michael Annisette was elected Administrative Committee Member in November, 2007. He joined the Port Authority, Trinidad and Tobago (PATT), as a Junior Clerical Officer in September, 1972. His passion for "Fair Play" attracted him to the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU). In 1974 he successfully led a campaign for the rights of Port staff members to enjoy Incentive Benefits that at the time were only paid to daily workers. After leading this campaign, he was elected Secretary of the Staff Branch of PATT, 1974, and Grievance Officer, 1976.

Positions held
In March 2008 Annisette was elected President of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) of Trinidad and Tobago. Prior to being President, in 2003 Annisette was elected 3rd Vice President and Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee.

In 2000 he was elected President General of the SWWTU. Prior to this position he was elected Assistant General Secretary with responsibilities for Industrial Court and Industrial Relations matters and was also the Union's Chief Negotiator.

Annisette is a member of the Offshore Task Force Group and the Seafarers and Dockers Section of the International Transport Federation (ITF). He chairs the following Majority Owned Union Companies, with private sector participation:

In December 2007 Annisette became an Independent Senator of the 9th Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Labour representative on boards
Annisette is a Labour Representative Board member on the:

He is also a Board Member of the Urban Development Corporation, Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDECOTT).

Annisette graduated from Cipriani Labour College (1974) with a Certificate in "Industrial Relations"; and a Diploma in "Labour Economics" from the University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Continuing Studies.

Kertist Augustus was elected Assistant Secretary and Education Secretary in November, 2007. Prior to the positions of Assistant Secretary and Education Secretary he was elected General Secretary serving from 1981-1998.

Augustus joined the Waterfront & Allied Workers Union (WAWU) while at school in 1967. He is President of the Waterfront & Allied Workers Union (WAWU), Dominica. He was elected General Secretary of WAWU in 1970 where he is currently on leave.

Wide participation on committees and boards
Augustus is a member of the:

Augustus attended many regional and international Trade Union courses throughout the Caribbean, Europe, South America, Central America and North America.