A high-stakes meeting between leadership of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has been scheduled for the first week of June 2026, aimed at addressing a pile of unresolved grievances that have impacted faculty and non-academic staff at Dominica State College for years.
What many do not realize is that the problems set to be discussed are not new. According to official statements from the DPSU, a portion of the complaints stretch back to the chaotic period during and after Hurricane Maria made landfall, a devastating storm that inflicted widespread damage across Dominica’s infrastructure and disrupted public institutions. Other concerns, however, predated the catastrophic hurricane, meaning college staff have waited years for meaningful action on their demands.
The planned sit-down with the prime minister comes after a series of closed-door consultations between DPSU leaders and college employees. During those sessions, staff made clear their growing frustration over the prolonged delays in addressing outstanding issues, with many even pushing for organized protest action to draw attention to their unmet needs. Union leadership has emphasized that the core goal of the upcoming meeting is to move past stalled negotiations and deliver tangible solutions for the long-troubled public tertiary institution.
Among the top priorities on the meeting agenda is what the union calls chronically insufficient government funding allocated to the college. Another key issue is the extended vacancy in the institution’s top leadership role, with no permanent president appointed after months of delay. Unfinished repairs to campus buildings and facilities, many of which were damaged during Hurricane Maria, will also be a central topic of discussion.
Additional grievances that will be put forward include multiple vacant full-time staff positions that have yet to be filled, and ongoing delays rolling out formal recommendations from a completed job evaluation and classification exercise meant to update staff roles and compensation structures. Talks will also extend beyond immediate staff concerns to cover broader systemic changes, including plans to strengthen the college’s governance framework and improve its day-to-day operational efficiency.
The meeting marks a critical turning point for staff at Dominica State College, who have waited years for the government to address their cumulative concerns, after inaction pushed the situation to a potential breaking point.