Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands president Nick Nishikawa told senators yesterday that they need 3,000 guest workers to remain in the CNMI.
The federalization law aims to reduce the number of CNMI foreign workers to zero by 2014.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, wanted to know how many guest workers are in the CNMI and how many of them are needed by businesses.
Officials from the Departments of Labor and Commerce who attended the meeting could not provide the figures.
For his part, Nishikawa, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Saipan, said HANMI needs 3,000 guest workers to keep the local tourism industry in good shape.
Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, in an interview said he called for the meeting because lawmakers wanted to know the number of foreigners who are legitimately employed in the CNMI.
“We want the ‘hard’ number of actual guest workers and their job categories in industries that are in jeopardy due to the federalization law,” Hofschneider said.
The CNMI Senate Committee on Federal Relations and Independent Agencies, which he chairs, plans to come up with its own recommendation to the U.S. Congress.
The committee has also been conducting public hearings regarding the U.S. Department of the Interior’s proposal to grant long-term guest workers improved immigration status.
Hofschneider said Interior should have consulted with the CNMI before submitting its recommendation to the U.S. Congress.
