Labor Deputy Secretary Cinta M. Kaipat, who met with lawmakers in the House chamber yesterday, said one of the challenges her department is facing in obtaining an accurate number of job positions in the CNMI is dealing with the labor ombudsman, who, she added, is “misguiding” guest workers.
Kaipat said Labor is conducting a job inventory.
The department, she added, wants to know which positions will be vacated soon so they can motivate locals to pursue training provided by federally funded vocational programs and apply for these positions.
But because the labor ombudsman has been advising guest workers not to deal with CNMI Labor, Kaipat said they cannot come up with an accurate data on the number of jobs the nonresident workers hold or have vacated.
Federal Labor Ombudsman Pam Brown, however, said the U.S. government does not require any nonresident or business wishing to employ aliens to seek permission from CNMI Labor.
She also cited the letter of Interior Assistant Secretary Tony Babauta who told the Saipan Chamber of Commerce that the “federal government does not require employers seeking to hire employees” to comply with Public Law 17-1.
Federal immigration rules now apply to the islands.
Last March, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed Public Law 17-1, “asserting” the CNMI government’s authority to regulate labor conditions in the commonwealth.
But Brown cited the earlier statement of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that employment of aliens within the CNMI is now a federal matter.
She said CNMI Labor should look at its survey to see what questions could be edited from it in order to obtain the future labor force data that it is seeking and not blame alien workers and businesses for complying with federal laws regarding employment of aliens in the CNMI.
Maggie Camacho, acting chairman of Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance board, also expressed her own concern regarding the ombudsman’s “misguided” advice to nonresident workers.
Camacho said the lack of accurate data will not provide local students a clear picture of what lies ahead for them in the private sector.
Workforce Investment Agency’s Edith Guerrero shared the same concern, saying that the federal ombudsman is preventing guest workers and employers from cooperating with CNMI Labor.
The “Career Vocational Manpower Development” meeting yesterday discussed the need to provide locals with jobs in the private sector, Rep. Raymond D. Palacios said.
Palacios, Covenant-Saipan, noted at the same time that many locals are reluctant to find private sector jobs because they continue to receive food stamps.
But he said it is time to encourage “our own people” to take over private sector jobs.
