When it was discovered by the company that there some disgruntled employees action was taken by the company to send the complainants back to the Philippines. The issue was reported to both the Guam and U.S. Departments of Labor.
The issue itself has yet to be resolved. There are still actions the company must make before the matter is completed to the satisfaction of the employees sent back to the Philippines.
There are 48 employees of the same company who remain on Guam. Each of them received a total of $1,750 inclusive of the amounts taken from them and the cost of reimbursement of airfare. There is still a large amount of money due to the employees.
I recently met with one of the 48 men still on Guam. He and the others were offered to stay on Guam until sometime in November. Their contracts were about to expire. But the gentleman whom I met with opted to leave the island for fear of reprisal from the company. If they didn’t get a visa extension, they would become illegal alien.
It was sad that he chose to leave only because he would rather be within the law than outlawed by his employer.
The fates of the 47 other H2 workers are still in limbo. I have seen the place where they have been staying. It is hard to believe that as many as 60 men were staying in that small space and paying rent for it. The matter is still open as far as the men who departed from Guam. Each of them is curious as to when they will get their money from their former employer and I wonder if they have even started to consider it.
FELIX AGUON
Dededo, Guam
