its first meetings in a church hall.

"It is with a degree of consternation that the executive management of the Canadian Pacific Southampton Princess Hotel has refused to allow its managers to meet on property, thus denying them their constitutional rights,'' said spokesman Anthony Santucci of the Bermuda Managers' Association.

"However, we applaud the executive management team at Sonesta Beach, led by Dennis Tucker, who have agreed to allow us to meet on property with managers,'' he added.

A general meeting for Sonesta managers is planned for Monday.

Norman Mastalir, general manager of the Southampton Princess, could not be reached for comment.

Last week the BMA announced the association was headed by an interim national executive which planned to initially focus on recruitment in the hospitality and tourism industries.

But Mr. Santucci said the group had already been in contact with interested employees from one of the Island's major banks.

Although he would not be drawn on which bank in particular, Mr. Santucci said the BMA included financial institutions among its divisions and planned to meet with bank representatives next week.

And in response to the Marriott Castle Harbour's recent closure announcement, Mr. Santucci said the group was prepared to offer legal services to the managers.

He added that the BMA was concerned about the uncertainty surrounding their fate and questioned what opportunities would be available to them following the closure.

Mr. Santucci declined to disclose numbers, but said there was a strong turnout for yesterday's meeting of Southampton Princess personnel.

"The members left in a very upbeat manner and are looking forward to the day when we become a collective bargaining agent,'' Mr. Santucci said.

And he was optimistic about the BMA's future development.

"The BMA Interim Executive is humbled by the significant support shown it on this historical occasion as we mark the evolution of labour relations in Bermuda,'' he explained.

"As we move into the 21st century, managers in Bermuda finally have a voice.

We look forward to working in an environment of cooperative dialogue to create an atmosphere that is mutually beneficial to all parties.'' TOURISM TOU