against the Bermuda Industrial Union.

Mr. W.A. (Toppy) Cowen has defended the hotel's decision to tear up collective bargaining agreements with the union.

And he said that the hotel would not be holding a decertification vote for its employees to decide whether they wanted to remain part of the union.

BIU President Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP claimed that hotel managers in Bermuda are breaking the law by booting out the union.

And he says the BIU has been the subject of a campaign to financially destroy it, which has left it cash-starved temporarily. He said Government and the hotels are trying to defeat the union.

Mr. Simmons will be speaking to Home Affairs Minister, the Hon. Irving Pearman later this week about the situation in the hotels.

Mr. Cowen denied his hotel was involved with others in a fight to defeat the union. He said: "We don't have anything to do with a so-called conspiracy.

We're not part of the Bermuda Hotel Association or the Hotel Employers of Bermuda.

"We left the HEB almost two years ago. They kicked us out for not going along with their thinking. We certainly didn't want to go down that road again.

"It's important to the hotel. We're trying to get a good relationship going.

We want everyone to work along with us.

" We want to improve occupancies instead of fighting with shop stewards. We want to work with the staff with the aim of improving overall performance.'' "Our backs are against the wall. We're fighting back. We've had enough. We've had it up to our eyeballs with the thinking of the union.'' Mr. Cowen claimed workers at the Pink Beach did not make any firm decision about staying in the union last year although the matter was discussed.

But he admitted he was against a vote by his employees. He said: "No. It's one of the things the union has always said: `Once you're in, you're in for life.' Well, we view things differently.'' Mr. W. A. (Toppy) Cowen.