“Replacing foreign workers with U.S. citizens or citizens of the Freely Associated States is a process that requires education, training and skill development so that these workers can qualify for many of the existing jobs. It also requires time, as many of these potential new local employees are either too young to join the workforce or they are not trained in any trade or vocational and technical disciplines,” Tenorio said in his letter.
“The main reason that the number of foreign workers has declined in the last several years is because of the closure of the majority of CNMI’s garment factories and numerous other businesses. It is not because they have been overwhelmingly replaced by ‘local’ workers. The CNMI must be able to attract new businesses and those new businesses will want some assurance that there is a stable workforce,” Tenorio added.
Although the newly established law allows for an extension after five years, he believes one will be necessary and there is no reason to delay its implementation.
“Public Law 110-229 requires that by Dec. 31, 2014, or the end of the transition period, the number of permits to hire transitional workers be reduced to zero. In all honesty, I do not see how the number of trained local workers will be nearly sufficient to fill existing jobs let alone any new jobs that I hope are created by new business investors in the CNMI in the near future,” Tenorio said.
A 10-year transition period “will provide at least some breathing room for potential business investors to invest with confidence that they will have the needed manpower to operate their businesses, and allow time to truly begin training a local workforce to take over these jobs in the future. Time and the level of new investments will tell if we may need additional extensions beyond this, but I am certain, as I believe most employers are, that this first extension will be necessary,” he added.
DPS-Rota to conduct sobriety/DUI checkpoints
(DPS) — The Department of Public Safety’s traffic section on Rota will be conducting DUI/sobriety checkpoints on the following days:
• Aug. 23 — The first setup will be along San Francisco Highway by the Sinapalo 3 Park, from 1:30 a.m. to 2:45 a.m.
• Aug. 27 — The first setup will be along San Francisco Highway by the Pinatang Park, from 10 p.m. to 11:15 p.m.
Both checkpoints will be terminated if it begins to rain.
In addition to the checkpoints, the officers will conduct highway criminal interdiction activities.
For more information, contact Officer Jarrod T. Manglona at 532-9433.
Red flag raised at 16 Saipan, 2 Tinian sites
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality has raised the red flag at 16 sites on Saipan and two sites on Tinian and advises the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
Samples collected from Paupau Beach, San Roque School, DPW Channel Bridge, S. Puerto Rico Dump, Hafa adai Hotel, Hafa-Adai Drainage, Garapan Fishing Dock, Garapan Beach Drainage, Sugar Dock, CK District #2 Drainage, San Antonio Lift Station, Unai Dangkulo, Jeffries Beach, Hidden Beach, Marine Beach and Tank Beach on Saipan, and Harbor and Leprosarium Beach I site on Tinian contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria – enterococci — that exceeded the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water. However, studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain these bacteria from the natural environment, which may not be directly associated with public health concerns.
Managaha waters are assigned a green flag.
DEQ analyzes samples of marine recreational and storm drainage water from 50 locations on Saipan, 10 on Tinian, 12 on Rota and a total of 11 samples from the shore surrounding Managaha.
The agency welcomes all inquiries as to the quality of the beach water.
The public is encouraged to contact DEQ at 664-8500 with any questions concerning this matter.
