AFTER spending close to a million dollars in public funds on a failed lawsuit challenging the federalization
law, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial says he will try to rebuild his administration’s relations with the U.S. government.
Filing an appeal is still possible but the governor said he’s not going to take that route yet.
He said he will ask the federal government
to allow the CNMI to continue handling labor-related matters.
“I will continue working with the federal government,” the governor told the Variety.
He believes that there’s still time to negotiate with the federal government for better terms for the CNMI.
“Now that the federal government understands where we are coming
from in terms of labor and the economy, we want to convince them that we can enforce our labor system better than they can. Why can’t they allow us?” he said.
“At least now they understand what we need,” he added.
Under the federalization law, he said, the backbone of the private sector — the guest workers — will be wiped out by 2014.
