Labor unions across the U.S. Virgin Islands have formed the U.S. Virgin Islands Area Labor Federation, a coalition representing about 4,000 workers, to coordinate organizing efforts and increase political engagement ahead of the upcoming election cycle, a press release announced.
Union leaders said the federation brings together groups representing educators, law enforcement, industrial workers, maritime workers and public employees, according to the press release.
“This will not be business as usual,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Area Labor Federation Executive Board President Carver Farrow. “Working people are coming together to build real power and to elect leaders who will fight for better wages, safer workplaces, and a stronger future for our Territory.”
Participating unions include the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, American Federation of Teachers Local 1825, United Steelworkers, Virgin Islands Police Benevolent Association, Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Supervisors Union, Seafarers International Union, American Federation of School Administrators and the American Association of University Professors at the University of the Virgin Islands, the press release stated.
The federation was established following a joint strategy meeting where union leaders reviewed challenges facing workers and outlined a coordinated approach moving forward, the release stated.
“Our goal is simple: bring workers together to speak with one unified, powerful voice,” the federation’s executive board said. “For too long, working people in the Virgin Islands have faced rising costs, stalled contracts, and limited political engagement. The Area Labor Federation is going to change that.”
Union leaders identified several issues affecting workers, including contract delays, cost of living pressures, workforce shortages, and concerns about working conditions in schools and government facilities. Additional concerns included delays at the Public Employees Relations Board and the Office of Collective Bargaining, retirement system contributions, and limited collaboration between labor and management, the release stated.
The federation said it plans to hold leadership and steward training, expand member outreach, and increase participation in candidate interviews and legislative budget hearings, it stated.
“The formation of this federation marks a turning point,” the executive board said. “We are committed to mobilizing our members, holding elected officials accountable, and ensuring that working families are at the center of every major decision affecting our islands.”
