A top Sonesta Hotels International executive will arrive in Bermuda today in an emergency effort to settle a dispute between workers and senior management.

More than 100 Bermuda Industrial Union workers and other non-unionised white collar workers downed tools for four hours yesterday until they received a guarantee Sonesta's executive vice-president Jacqueline Sonnabend would fly in to see them.

The workers were protesting management's handling of a vacation time dispute.

The Royal Gazette understands the hotel's payroll manager was not allowed back to work on Friday and yesterday after being away for almost six weeks on sick leave.

According to sources, management had denied the woman's requests for vacation leave last winter and also in July and August.

And there is suspicion among management that she was not ill, although she reportedly produced a doctor's certificate last week and in the past.

"Yes, it was the straw that broke the camel's back,'' Bermuda Industrial Union shop steward Raymond Russell, Jr. said as workers filed back to work.

"The manager's attitude in that meeting on Friday was one of complacency and there was no solution to the problem.'' He said several people had left the accounts department in recent months.

"I don't want to speculate why, but that's unfortunate,'' he added.

But also there are "other issues'' that workers wanted to talk to Ms Sonnabend about, Mr. Russell said.

"There is not just one issue,'' he said, adding managing director Dennis Tucker and general manager John Murtha had not handled the situation satisfactorily.

"She'll hear seven, or eight, or ten of them,'' Mr. Russell continued. "They really haven't addressed them. They say one thing and do another. It is at a boiling point.'' Earlier in the morning, workers decided to continue the protest when they were told Ms Sonnabend would not be able to fly to Bermuda to meet with them until next week.

Mr. Russell told the group: "Okay, I'm going back in there and call Jackie Sonnabend and tell her she needs to rearrange her schedule and we will sit out here until then.'' Mr. Tucker confirmed the nature of the dispute, saying: "This revolves around a vacation leave request and a doctor's certificate of leave.'' "We're working to resolve it,'' he said. "We're hoping that it can be amicably resolved before the day is out.'' Sonesta workers down tools Some workers -- speaking on condition of anonymity -- said comptroller Hiram Brown was "sarcastic'' and made light of their personal situations.

The workers said the payroll manager missed her son's high school graduation abroad because of the vacation ban, and had more than nine weeks of accumulated leave.

They also claimed management knew the woman's medical condition, but said Mr.

Brown had acted callously in suggesting she was on vacation.

On woman said: "We've been deeply concerned about that department's manager.

He knows that he is secure in a job. He has said he has a job in Florida.'' "One lady, she left because of Hiram,'' another woman said. "She got her vacation time after doing everything including crying. But she left soon after.'' In response, Mr. Tucker said he was aware of negative feelings toward Mr.

Brown and he said Sonesta management had tried to resolve the issues.

He added: "But due to business demands especialy in the height of the busy season we do sometimes find it difficult to grant requests like this.'' Mr. Tucker claimed management operated as "fair and evenhanded as possible'' toward workers, adding: "It will continue to be the policy of our hotel to insure that our employees are treated fairly and that we do the best for our guests.'' Guests at the hotel were surprised to hear about the work stoppage, with several saying they had not noticed any hiccups.

But at the height of the walkout, Mr. Tucker said: "Guests have been affected somewhat. When you have a work stoppage, your guests are affected.''