IF enacted into law, the two workforce bills introduced by U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan would benefit the local economy, acting CNMI Labor Secretary Leila F. Staffler said.
The two bills are:
• H.R. 560, or the Northern Mariana Islands Population Stabilization Act, which would allow approximately 1,600 long-term guest workers to apply for a CNMI-only permanent status; and
• H.R. 1420 which would delay for three years the “touchback” provision that requires employers to send CW-1 visa holders back to their home country every three years.
“If H.R. 560 goes through it will really help give us more people to consider as part of our workforce in the long term. Our whole goal is to meet our industry needs,” Staffler told Variety in an interview.
“We all know that our numbers are short for what we need, and having H.R. 560 would give us the skilled workers that we need and it reduces our need to bring in additional workforce from overseas,” she added.
Staffler noted that the CNMI has seen a huge decline in its population over the past few years.
“In order for the economy to grow we need to have workers,” she said. “We do not have enough workers to work on the projects that we need to boost the economy. Even if you consider the number of all the people who graduated you still wouldn’t have enough people to meet the demand that the economy requires especially if there are big hotels and industries that need a diverse workforce,” she added.
For ARMATECH owner and operations manager Bong Malasarte, the repeal of the touchback provision would ensure the continuity of construction and other critical projects.
He said the CNMI government, for its part, should continue the training programs for local residents and the youth.
