Pelican to resume process to dismiss Resort workers

January 16, 2012 2:34 PM

PHILIPSBURG--The Pelican Resort Club Management Company (PRCMC) has signalled its intention to resume the process to dismiss all of its former workers.

In a letter to Workers Institute for Organised Labour (WIFOL) President Theophilus Thompson on Thursday, Tenant's Association Pelican Resort Club (TAPRC) Chairman Arthur D'Italia said he intended to, on behalf of PRCMC, "reactivate" a petition to terminate the employment of all persons who were employed by PRCMC.

D'Italia, who said he was speaking on behalf of PRCMC, said: "The Pelican Resort was owned by the Pelican Resort Club Owner Company (PRCOC). That company lost the resort in a foreclosure and the property was sold by judicial auction on December 16, 2010. As of that date, PRCOC no longer owned the land and buildings of the resort and PRCMC no longer had any need for employees. With the loss of income from the Resort operation there was no longer any ability to pay the employees.

"On January 18, 2011, Royal Resorts, as agent for PRCMC, filed a petition to dismiss all employees. On January 27, 2011 an attorney for PRCMC withdrew that petition. I do not know the reason for the withdrawal. I can speculate that PRCMC believed the foreclosure and sale might be set aside by the courts.

"Whatever the case, it has been clear for some time that the foreclosure and sale of the property are final and PRCOC and PRCMC will never own or manage the Resort again. For that reason, I intend to write Head of Labour Affairs Peggy Ann-Dros and reactive the petition to dismiss employees," it was stated in the letter.

D'Italia said he would be happy to meet with Thompson to answer any questions he may have about this matter.

(Source: The Daily Herald)

13 January 2012