Profile
Rudy Lovell
Rudy Lovell is a teacher with over twenty years of experience, for seventeen of these years, he has been a member of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT). Mr Lovell has a passion for trade unionism and occupational safety and health (OSH) both of which he actively practices as an executive member of the BUT. Mr Lovell was elected as the President of the BUT on 5th February 2022. He previously held the positions of 1st Vice President (April 17, 2021 – February 5, 2022), 2nd Vice President (August 8, 2020 – April 16, 2021), Deputy General Secretary (April 21, 2017 – August 7, 2020), Chairman of Stewards (May 2016 – April 20, 2017), Chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee (2018 – Present), Chairman of the Professional Development Committee (2021- Present) and BUT Steward from 2005-Present. His aim is not only to see the union agitate for the rights and conditions of its members but also to educate all members professionally. Mr Lovell holds a First-Class Honours degree in Technical and Vocational Education and a Masters Degree in Occupational Safety and Health. He considers himself as a student of health and safety and believes that “nothing is of greater importance than the conservation of human life”. In his past exploits, Mr Lovell once served as the assistant manager of the Barbados National Men’s Senior Football Team.
1st Vice President
Julian Pierre
Julian Pierre has been a Physical Education Teacher in the public primary system from September 2004 to present. He is proud of his nursery to tertiary education in the public system and wanted to give back to his nation by nurturing young minds and guiding them to be their best, just as was done for him. Julian believes in the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Throughout his years in teaching, he has taught and coached athletes in cricket (Zone Winners, Most Improved School, Most Outstanding Bowler, Most Outstanding Wicket-keeper, Most Outstanding Female Cricketer), National Primary Schools Athletic Championship – NASPAC (Zone Title, Zone Winners, Record Holders, Victor Ludorum at Finals), bodybuilding (2nd in Division as a first time competitor), badminton (1st time finalist from the school, Most Valuable Player) to name a few.
Within the realm of NAPSAC (hosted by the BUT and NSC), he served as Chief Official of the Check-In and Call-Room Departments (Athletes Village) from 2005 to 2019 and elected to serve on the Executive Committee from 2019 to 2021 as the Assistant Meet Director. As of July 2021, he is the Championship Director of the Committee and will be until 2023.
Julian has been a Shop Steward of the BUT since 2009, until being elected to the Executive Committee in 2017 as the Public Relations Officer, and as of April 2021 been elected the 2nd Vice President. Being elected to serve on behalf of the members of an organisation is one of importance and one which he takes seriously. As P.R.O, he was instrumental in the creation of the YouTube Channel “BUT Barbados” which is one of the main content vessels of the union. He also coordinated the process of online voting (for the first time for the union) in its Annual General Elections 2021. As 2nd Vice President he is the Chairman of the BUT Sports & Culture Committee, and a member of the Occupational Safety & Health Committee, Public Relations Committee, Professional Development & Research committees. Julian also serves on the Caribbean Union of Teachers’ Sport Committee.
Andre Holder
Mr. Andre Holder is a Trained Graduate Teacher having been a teacher from the year 2010. He became a member of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) in 2013 and became an Executive Member in the year 2018. During his tenure on the BUT Executive, Mr. Holder has been trained in Occupational Safety and Health Management from Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity (BIMAP) and is currently the Deputy Chairperson on the Occupational Health and Safety Committee as well as the Public Relations Committee. He also sits on several other committees on the Executive.
Mr. Holder’s goals as an Executive member are to promote safe work practices and conditions, and to assist in creating a safe place of work by recommending actions that will improve the effectiveness of the Occupational Health and Safety within the educational system.
3rd Vice President
Alicia Alleyne
Dr. Alicia Alleyne is a proud past student of The Ellerslie Secondary School. She is a trained graduate teacher with over twenty years experience. Her teaching journey started in the Secondary School and presently she teaches Physical Education and Social Studies at St Silas Primary her alma mater.
Dr. Alleyne has been a member of the Barbados Union of Teachers for close to twenty years and has been a trained Steward for approximately fifteen years. She has also attended many of the professional development sessions on industrial relations, the rights of workers, occupational health and safety and believes the trade union movement is a needed entity.
She is highly involved in sports and as a trained official has served at NAPSAC for over fifteen years. She also finds it a joy to coach her students at the St Silas Primary in cricket and football both sports she has played. She sees sports as an opportunity for students to soar and be outstanding and over the years have exposed them to various competitions, invited players to speak to the children and has taken them to watch international teams when they visited the island.
Dr. Alleyne presently serves as Chair of the Members Welfare and Recruitment Committee and sits on the Public Relations, Professional Development, Sports and Culture Committees within the BUT.
She believes all teachers should know their rights and have a healthy and productive environment in which they can carry out their duties effectively. Her educational philosophy to her students is: “Education is the key to upward mobility. If you want to be somebody and you want to go somewhere, wake up and get an education.”
Herbert Gittens
Herbert Gittens is presently the General Secretary of the BUT. He has served on the Executive for the past 28 years. He previously served as Executive Member and Deputy General Secretary before taking up duties as General Secretary in 1999, a post which he has held to date. He is currently the BUT’s representative on the Board of The Congress of Trade Union and Staff Associations of Barbados. (CTUSAB). He serves as Director of the Barbados Accreditation Council. Herbert has been in the teaching service since 1978 and currently serves as Principal of the Wesley Hall Junior School.
Asha Yearwood
Asha has been a teacher for the past 10 years. She is currently assigned to the Parkinson Memorial School where she teaches English Language and Theatre Art. Ms. Yearwood has held the post of Secretary of Stewards, Executive Member previously and has been the Deputy General Secretary of the BUT since 2020. Ms. Yearwood is also an active sports person who plays football for the Empire Cricket Club and she is also a member of Deacons Volleyball Club. She is an avid fan of the West Indies Cricket team and supports them whether they win, lose or draw.
Candacy Griffith
Candacy Griffith is custodian of finances of the Barbados Union of Teachers. She is diligent in this area and committed to the continuity of this great union. She believes in teachers‘ rights and responsibilities, the strength of unity and the power of knowledge. Candacy received her early education at Selah Primary School and the Ellerslie School. Upon graduation from the Ellerslie School, she went on the Barbados Community College where she completed the LCCI Private Secretary’s Certificate and an Associate Degree in Computer Science. After many years in the private sector as a Receptionist, Secretary, Administrative Assistant, Accounts Assistant and Information Technology Officer, she joined the teaching profession in 2007. Candacy is a trained graduate teacher who holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology and Management (Honours) from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus and a Diploma in Education from the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College. She also possesses certification in Financial Management from the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity. She now serves as an Information Technology Coordinator in the primary school division. Apart from being a teacher, she works closely with the youth of her church and volunteers her time to working with other youth as sometimes requested by family or friends. Candacy is the proud mother of three (two girls and one boy). She takes great pride in their achievements, both great and small. She encourages and promotes good spiritual and emotional attributes. She is kind, loving, friendly and considerate. She is an objective thinker and decision maker. She holds honesty and integrity as her core values.
Marsha Burke
Since joining the teaching service over 11 years ago Marsha has been a member of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT). Though being an active union member and a Shop Steward, it was not until 2020 that she joined the Executive Committee as an Executive Member, and subsequently moved to the post of Public Relations Officer in 2021 after her first year on the Executive. Marsha enjoys public speaking and debating, reading, hiking and sports, especially athletics. She is currently assigned to the St. George Primary School and is very active in the 4-H movement in Barbados. She is currently the leader of the St. George Lions 4-H Club and received the Most Outstanding 4-H Leader Award in 2019. Marsha has interests in the rights, and health and safety of teachers which she believes is very important and has sat on the BUT Occupational Safety & Health Committee for the past two years. Marsha also sits on the Congress of Trade Union and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), Youth Committee and is the Chairman of the BUT Public Relation Committee and a member of the Caribbean Union of Teachers Public Relations Committee. She is also a member of the BUT Member Relations, Professional Development & Research, Sports & Culture and Education Reform committees. She believes in the value of the trade union movement and wishes to see unions respected in Barbados. Marsha is a hard worker and believes in having a positive outlook and attitude in everything she does. Her aim is that her work reflects the vision of improving the image and view of the Barbados Union of Teachers to its members and the public.
Tara Durant
Tara Durant has been a teacher and a member of the Barbados Union of Teachers since 2009. She first joined as an Executive Member in 2020. Before becoming an Executive Member Ms. Durant served on the Health and Safety Committee of the BUT. Ms. Durant is a trained BUT Shop Steward and is currently the Chairperson of a newly formed committee that will address the challenges faced by teachers with disabilities. She is also Co-Chair of the Educational Media Production Committee and a member of several other BUT Committees. A passion for trade unionism is one of her hallmarks having been raised by a founding member of the Barbados Union of Teachers and the Barbados Teachers’ Credit Union.
Ms. Durant prides herself as a culturally diverse individual and this has enriched her experiences in teaching. In addition to her local teaching experience, she has taught internationally, spending three years in Japan teaching at the secondary and primary level, as well as teaching students with special needs.
Ms. Durant currently is the Information Technology Coordinator at a Special Needs School where she teaches both the primary and secondary curriculum. Ms. Durant is devoted to the educational, social and emotional development of children in Barbados and to seeing true inclusion in schools for those with special needs. Ms. Durant has a Master of Science degree in E-Commerce and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Enterprise Management. Before teaching Ms. Durant was a journalist and once served as Assistant Editor of the HEAT Magazine. In the past Ms. Durant was a performing artist having been featured in local plays and movies and trained students with original dramatic works written by her.
Stacia Springer
Stacia Springer is a trained Social Worker but her love for children has led her to choosing a career path in teaching. She has been enjoying this choice for over 15 years.
As a trained, graduate teacher, Stacia’s goal is to produce well-rounded students, who can function in this changing world we live in. As a Shop-Steward and now Executive member of this fine Union, her aim is to see that all teachers are treated fairly and are able to work in safe and comfortable environs.
Stacia sits on the BUT Operational Health and Safety Committee as well as the Public Relations, Special Events & Protocol, Members Welfare, Sports & Culture Committees.
In her free time, Stacia loves spending time with her family, hiking and playing and watching all sports (especially dominoes).
Cherise Rock
Cherise began teaching in 1999 at the Parkinson Secondary School as a substitute teacher. She also worked at the Grantley Adams Memorial School. In 2002 she worked at the National Housing Corporation where she realized the importance of being a union member because of environment concerns at the worksite which cause a stoppage of work. A year later in 2003 she returned to teaching and was assigned to the Chalky Mount Primary School; she joined the BUT that same year. Cherise is a trained graduate teacher and a trained Information Technology Coordinator. She is currently assigned to the St. Silas Primary School. She recently completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership. Cherise is a member of Professional Development & Research and Occupational Safety & Health committees. Cherise, as an executive member, is seeking to learn all she can about industrial relations. She believes in solidarity and that through unification we can accomplish great things.
Julicia Hinds
Ms. Julicia Hinds is a past student of The St. Michael School and has been an educator for 14 years. She is a trained teacher and graduated from the Erdiston Teacher’s College in 2014, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor in Education from Erdiston Teacher’s College. Having worked significantly in the Infants Department within various public schools, her aim is to empower students and help them be the best they can be.
Ms. Hinds joined the Barbados Union of Teachers (B.U.T)in 2008 and presently serves as the Secretary of the Barbados Union of Teachers steward’s body, is a member of the Public Relations Committee and also a member of the executive committee. As well as being involved in the Union locally she is also a member of the C.U.T Cultural Committee.
Her love and keen interest for sports propelled her to be an official at NAPSAC where she has gotten the opportunity to encourage and impact the lives of junior athletes in the nation. She is very interested in Early Education as it allows her to shape and mold minds and helps her unearth the untapped potential within each child she teaches.
Ms. Hinds is a trained peer counsellor and is very interested in impacting the lives of the youth in our nation. She is a member of the Moravian church and over the last year has served as the President of the Dunscombe Moravian Youth Fellowship. She is also very involved in the worship ministry of her church.
As an avid reader she believes reading opens doors and allows her to embrace various cultures that books bring to life.
Ms. Hinds became a steward in 2017 as she believes in advocating for the rights of all teachers.
