Opinion ID: 3014502
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Facts and Procedural History are complete;

Text: In 1986, the Virgin Islands (5) who performs his work legislature enacted Section 76 of the assignments in a negligent WDA, which limited the grounds upon manner; which an employer may terminate an employee. The statute provided, in (6) wh ose c onti nuous relevant part, as follows: absences from his place of em ploym ent affect the (a) Unless modified by interests of his employer; contract, an employer may dismiss an employee: (7) who is incompetent or i n e fficient, t h e r e by (1) who engages in a impairing his usefulness to business which conflicts his employer; with his duties to his 2 (8) who is dishonest; or In 1996, the Virgin Islands legislature amended the first sentence of (9) whose conduct is such subsection (a) of the statute to state that it leads to the refusal, “[u]nless modified by union contract . . ..” reluctance or inability of 24 V.I. Code Ann. § 76 (1996) (emphasis other employees to work added). This amended provision has been with him. interpreted to apply to all employees in the Virgin Islands, absent a collective  bargaining agreement setting discharge terms to the contrary. See St. Thomas–St. (c) Any employe e John Hotel & Tourism Ass’n, Inc. v. Gov’t discharged for reasons other of the U.S. Virgin Islands, 218 F.3d 232, t h a n t h o s e stated in 236 (3d Cir. 2000) (Hotel Association II).1 subsection (a) of this section shall be considered to have On April 5, 1999, the St. been wrongfully discharged; Thomas–St. John Hotel & Tourism however, nothing in this Association, Inc., the St. Thomas–St. John section shall be construed as Chamber of Commerce, Inc., and the St. prohibiting an employer Croix Hotel & Tourism Association, Inc. f r o m t e r m i n a ti n g a n (collectively the “associations”) filed this employee as a result of the action in the District Court of the Virgin c e ssati o n o f b u s i ness Islands against the Government of the operations or as a result of a Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands general cutback in the work Department of Labor, and the Acting force due to economic Commissioner of the Department of hardship, or as a result of the employee’s participation in concerted activity that is 1 In 2000, the Virgin Islands not protected by this title. Legislature amended the definition of “employee” under the WDA to exclude 24 V.I. Code Ann. § 76 (1986). Any “any person employed in a bonafide employee covered by the WDA and position in an executive or professional discharged in violation of Section 76 may capacity.” See St. Thomas–St. John file an administrative complaint with the Hotel & Tourism Ass’n, Inc. v. Gov’t of Commissioner of Labor, who has the the U.S. Virgin Islands, 216 F. Supp. 2d authority to order reinstatement and back 460, 462 (D.V.I. 2002) (Hotel pay. 24 V.I. Code Ann. § 77. In addition, Association III). The issue of the an employee may file a lawsuit for coverage under the WDA of supervisory compensatory and punitive damages. 24 employees who are not executives or