Of the 30 workers, 26 are assigned to the power generation on Saipan; one to Rota’s power division; and three to the different administrative divisions, he said.
Public Law 16-14 allows CUC to hire foreign workers for technical and professional positions until September this year only.
Cepeda said CUC will “try” to renew the contracts of the foreign workers when they expire.
But CUC will also continue to accommodate local hires, including the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, he added.
The executive order of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial declaring a state of disaster emergency for CUC exempts it from the cap on hiring foreign workers.
The governor lifted the hiring restriction to address the need for additional workers at the power plants.
The governor noted that the condition of overworked personnel in CUC was extreme and their “excessive hours result in inefficiencies and poor work quality, and can lead to dangerous mistakes.”
Cepeda said they should have no problems with their guest workers until Nov. 28, 2011, when the transition period of the implementation of the federalization law ends.
After that date, guest workers in the CNMI must be hired through the federal process.
