TWU Friend is the New Prime Minister of Barbados

Mia Mottley, the newly elected Prime Minister of Barbados, is a close personal friend of TWU Local 100 Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips, who was born and raised in this island paradise. Prime Minister Mottley has, in fact, visited the TWU Local 100 union hall in Brooklyn on two occasions. TWU’s Phillips, who admits “staying up all night waiting for the election results to come in” said he is thrilled with Mottley’s victory.

In a congratulatory letter to the new Prime Minister, Phillips stated: “On behalf of the 44,000 members of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, many of whom trace their ancestry to our beautiful country of Barbados, I wish to congratulate you and the Barbados Labour Party on its sweeping victory in the national elections on May 24, 2018.

“The people of Barbados have given you a tremendous mandate to govern.  The vote demonstrates their deep belief in your ability to uplift our economy and deal with pressing infrastructure issues. Back here in New York, we are proud that you are blazing a trail as the first woman Prime Minister of our country.  And we are equally proud and confident that you will lead Barbados into a new era of economic and political prosperity.”

Phillips said he has invited Prime Minister Mottley “back to TWU Local 100” on her next visit to the U.S. As her first act as Prime Minister, Mottley announced an emergency plan to deal with the country’s debt.