Irene N. Tantiado, United Workers Movement, NMI president, noted that the governor continues to claim that federalization will eventually phase out all guest workers.
“He should stop using us to get sympathy,” Tantiado said.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said under federalization, only a very small percentage of foreign workers may be eligible for US employment visas.
“Under current federal law, some 18,000 foreign workers will be phased out completely in several years,” he said. “This would not benefit anyone in the CNMI, including both foreign and local workers.”
He said it is difficult to understand why some foreign workers would support a federal law that proposes to remove them from the commonwealth and deprive them of jobs.
But Tantiado said they are not convinced that Fitial is trying to protect them. Otherwise, she added, the governor will tell the Department of Labor to stop implementing questionable policies against guest workers. They may launch protest actions against the governor, she said.
Reyes said the governor is opposing federalization for the sake of local and foreign workers as well as local and foreign investors.
Tantiado said they have been asking for an audience with the governor, but they have been repeatedly told that Fitial is busy.
“Yes, the governor is a very busy man,” Reyes said.
