Helene Davis-Whyte
Encyclopedia
Helene Davis-Whyte is a Jamaica
n trade union
activist and the general secretary of the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers
(JALGO), which represents 5,000 workers in local and national government and quasi-government agencies in Jamaica. She is also a vice-president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions
.
. But while in her Sixth form
, her father's business began to fail. She dropped out of school to go to work and support the family. "Sometimes I left home without breakfast; I never had the lunch money and when I got home, I was not sure that I would see dinner," she has said.
She had her first child at the age of 19. Although unmarried, she moved in with a sister (who was also a single parent) to make ends meet.
In 1995 she married Frederick Whyte, a former commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, and had a second child.
. "I was probably one of the most anti-union persons" working in local government, she admitted. But when a new mayor
promised to lay off
members of her department, she and other workers decided to ask for JALGO's assistance. During a meeting with then-general secretary E. Lloyd Taylor, Davis-Whyte became the speaker for the group. Her co-workers were so impressed with her representation of their issues that they elected her a delegate to JALGO, and she became increasingly involved in union work.
Davis-Whyte was elected vice-president of JALGO's Municipal Branch, and in 1984 was elected the national union's education officer. In 1995, after Taylor's retirement, she was elected general secretary (the union's highest office), and was re-elected in 1998, 2001 and 2004. Her nomination was a tumultuous one, and nearly caused a riot on the convention floor.
During her tenure as union leader, Davis-Whyte has opposed the flexible work-week for reducing workers' hours, pushed for reorganization of public welfare services, and urged a collaborative approach to policy making in which unions would participate in commissions, boards and advisory bodies in order to alleviate the impact of austerity measures.
in business studies and professional certificates
in trade union studies and labour economics
.
She received a Bachelor of Science
degree in human resource management
from the University College of the Caribbean (UCC)http://www.uccjm.com in 2006.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist and the general secretary of the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers
Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers
The Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers is a 5,000-member public sector trade union in Jamaica which represents workers in local and national government, governmental corporations, quasi-government bodies and other agencies created by statute...
(JALGO), which represents 5,000 workers in local and national government and quasi-government agencies in Jamaica. She is also a vice-president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions
Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions
The Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center in Jamaica. It is affiliated to the International Trade Union Confederation.-Origins:...
.
Early life
Helene Davis was one of four children. Her father was a businessman, and she says her childhood was a prosperous and happy one. She attended Queens High School in KingstonKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. But while in her Sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
, her father's business began to fail. She dropped out of school to go to work and support the family. "Sometimes I left home without breakfast; I never had the lunch money and when I got home, I was not sure that I would see dinner," she has said.
She had her first child at the age of 19. Although unmarried, she moved in with a sister (who was also a single parent) to make ends meet.
In 1995 she married Frederick Whyte, a former commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, and had a second child.
Union career
In the early 1980s Davis-Whyte worked at the Kingston and St. Andrew CorporationKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. "I was probably one of the most anti-union persons" working in local government, she admitted. But when a new mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
promised to lay off
Layoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
members of her department, she and other workers decided to ask for JALGO's assistance. During a meeting with then-general secretary E. Lloyd Taylor, Davis-Whyte became the speaker for the group. Her co-workers were so impressed with her representation of their issues that they elected her a delegate to JALGO, and she became increasingly involved in union work.
Davis-Whyte was elected vice-president of JALGO's Municipal Branch, and in 1984 was elected the national union's education officer. In 1995, after Taylor's retirement, she was elected general secretary (the union's highest office), and was re-elected in 1998, 2001 and 2004. Her nomination was a tumultuous one, and nearly caused a riot on the convention floor.
During her tenure as union leader, Davis-Whyte has opposed the flexible work-week for reducing workers' hours, pushed for reorganization of public welfare services, and urged a collaborative approach to policy making in which unions would participate in commissions, boards and advisory bodies in order to alleviate the impact of austerity measures.
Education
Helene Davis-Whyte holds an associate degreeAssociate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in business studies and professional certificates
Professional certification
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task...
in trade union studies and labour economics
Labour economics
Labor economics seeks to understand the functioning and dynamics of the market for labor. Labor markets function through the interaction of workers and employers...
.
She received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in human resource management
Human resource management
Human Resource Management is the management of an organization's employees. While human resource management is sometimes referred to as a "soft" management skill, effective practice within an organization requires a strategic focus to ensure that people resources can facilitate the achievement of...
from the University College of the Caribbean (UCC)http://www.uccjm.com in 2006.