IMPERIAL Pacific International LLC attorney Michael Dotts has informed the federal court that the removal of the crane at the construction site is almost complete, and that some employee housing units will be closed.
Michael Dotts
In IPI’s fifth status report submitted on Monday, Dotts said construction work at the IPI hotel-casino project site remains suspended as ordered by the court.
He said IPI distributed payroll No. 4 to its employees on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, the date it was due.
“There were some last-minute problems, but payroll was paid,” he said, adding that IPI’s next payday is Friday, Feb. 26, 2021.
Dotts said IPI’s employee housing units still have power, but “IPI is ready to close Vestcor. The two holdover employees who had been refusing to leave are moving out today [Monday],” he added.
He said IPI should be able to close its large housing unit known as LauLau on about Feb. 23 as its residents will depart the CNMI on Feb. 22, 2021.
“Closing the housing reduces the burden on IPI of paying utilities, but IPI will still need to pay for security at these facilities,” Dotts said.
As for food services, he said those continue without interruption for all H-2B workers.
“As workers are repatriated the financial burden of feeding them will go down and IPI will also soon be able to reduce its kitchen and cleaning staff,” Dotts said.
Difficulties
But Dotts said more difficulties with repatriation arose this week.
“On Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, 11 employees were supposed to depart for Turkey,” he said. “IPI paid for and gave them their tickets, paid for Covid testing in Guam, and paid for a two-night stay in a hotel in Guam. Sunday afternoon it was discovered that the employees had changed their tickets and moved the departure dates back to August.”
Dotts said IPI is working with the attorney representing the Turkish employees to resolve the matter.
As for the 16 other workers who were scheduled to return to Turkey early Monday morning, Dotts said: “IPI had them sign a general release in receipt for $250 each in cash. IPI has agreed that the employees did not release any claims in exchange for the cash and the general release has been nullified,” referring to District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona’s recent order based on the U.S. Department of Labor and IPI’s stipulation filed in court.
On Jan. 28, 2021, the judge told IPI that it would be placed in receivership and its assets liquidated if it failed to pay the remaining back wages of current employees and the consent judgment in the next 30 days.
She ordered the IPI attorney to file a weekly status report and scheduled a March 31 status update on the consent judgment.
