House OKs CUC to hire 19 guest workers

The House unanimously agreed to let the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. hire 12 alien workers and renew the contracts of seven others to address the severe manpower shortage at CUC’s power generation division.

The bill, introduced by Vice Speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, originally sought to hire 12 guest workers but Rep. Edward T. Salas offered an amendment on the floor to change it to 19 during the session Monday afternoon.

With a 16-0 vote, the legislation goes to the Senate. Reps. Ray N. Yumul, Joseph Reyes, Rosemond Santos, and Edwin Aldan were absent.

In an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday, Salas said some of them are concerned that the 12 new slots are not enough.

Salas said he originally proposed 24, but there were some discussions so they compromised and agreed to have 19 instead.

“The reason for 19 is because there are seven that are still currently employed [whose contracts] are expiring. When that seven expire, if you are allowed 12 that would mean you can get only five more,” he explained.

Salas said all of them agreed the CNMI doesn’t have local resources in terms of technicians and people who are experts in generators.

“We understand that it is really an immediate need,” he added. “So we decided to…allow CUC to hire those people off island, including the seven renewals.”

The lawmaker said the hiring would either be through manpower services or direct hire.

Rep. Stanley T. Torres said the hiring of nonresident workers is needed to support the maintenance and overhauling of power engines at Power Plants in Lower Base.

Torres said there are currently seven employees, including engineers and technical people, who are nonresidents.

He said CUC executive director Tony Muña asked that they provide 12 more guest workers who will assist CUC for another two years.

Torres said Muña promised that if these 12 are hired, there should be a training program for local residents to take these alien workers’ place.

Deleon Guerrero stated in the bill that extending the exemption for hiring alien workers within the government is necessary to ensure the delivery of uninterrupted power, water, and wastewater services to the CNMI.

Under the legislation, the 12 additional workers would fill technical and professional positions at CUC and extend such exemption to year 2010.

Power officials have informed Muña that the removal of 20 alien workers in September 2007 dramatically impacted the overall operation of the power generation division.

The officials cited that the manpower shortage has affected staff morale to the point of exhaustion, such that no one wants to report for work anymore on weekends and during emergency calls.