By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, Guardian Senior Reporter, kdl@nasguard.com

Seven months after a workers' contract expired, the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) and the Bahamas Hotel Employers Association (BHEA) have yet to conclude negotiations for a master agreement for hotels throughout the country.

BHCAWU Secretary General Leo Douglas said while discussions have been ongoing for several months and both sides have exchanged proposals, neither has yet to agree on a single document.

"There have been some exchange regarding the economic side like gratuities and wages, but I don't think we have reached [the signing stage] yet. Their (BHEA) proposal is still under consideration so we still have a ways to go," Douglas told The Guardian yesterday.

The master agreement expired in January of this year. However, according to Douglas, the terms and conditions remain in place for the employees until a new agreement is reached.

"Hopefully, by the end of this year we would have an agreement, but I heard that they want to have the matter concluded by the end of this month, August. And, it is fine if we can have a conclusion today, if they would agree to do some of the things we proposed," he explained.

The master agreement will cover a number of hotel workers at Atlantis, Lyford Cay, Towne Hotel, Sandals, the British Colonial Hilton, Wyndham, etc.

"We are hoping that we can really get this agreement concluded in short order because employees are asking every day when we are going to get this agreement signed," the hotel union executive stressed.

The union is seeking such benefits as increased salaries, two-and-half weeks Christmas bonus, vacation pay, and that the 15 percent gratuity remains in place.

And, while Douglas said the negotiations are cordial, he said there was really one bone of contention for the labor organization. He pointed out that the BHCAWU is pushing to have included in the agreement a clause pertaining to guaranteed tips for employees such as bell men, and those who work at the pool and beach.

"I am not going to agree to sign [any] contract unless we get guaranteed tips in those areas where those people depend on [tips] for their survival," said Douglas.

"That is one of the most serious things the union is really holding on," Douglas explained. "You have to have guaranteed gratuity [for employees] like bellmen [and those who work the] pool and beach. We have it for maids etc. but we don't have it for those areas. In one or two hotels we have all inclusive where they pay those things."

Douglas stressed that guaranteed gratuity should be a uniformed thing, and not exclusive to any one hotel.