Chamber extends deadline for turning in wage survey forms to September 16

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce extended from Sept. 9 to 16 the deadline for submission of filled-out forms for its prevailing wage survey, giving businesses an extra week to participate.

Douglas Brennan, president of the business organization, said while the overall response has been good, several have asked for some additional time to fill out the form.

“In an effort to be as fair and impartial as possible, we have arranged to extend the submission deadline to September 16th,” Brennan told Chamber members and guests at the general membership meeting on Wednesday.

Richard Pierce, the Chamber’s executive director, said on Friday that over 400 companies expressed interest in participating in the wage survey. He said many turned in their filled out survey forms close to the original Sept. 9 deadline.

With an additional week to submit, the Chamber expects more will be able to participate in the survey, which is open to both Chamber members and non-Chamber members.

Non-Chamber members who want to participate in the survey are encouraged to call the Chamber at 233-7150 or email coordinator@saipanchamber.com.

The Chamber contracted Guam Employers Council’s Andy Andrus for its “2011 Survey of Wages, Salaries and Benefits.”

Survey forms were distributed in end-July. Only those submitting completed survey responses to the Guam Employers Council will receive immediate access to the survey’s final report.

While the survey results can be used for planning future employee salary and benefit packages, the Chamber accepted and is performing the survey primarily for assistance in determining prevailing wage rates for foreign workers in the CNMI while protecting local employees and their rightful jobs.

Those that will petition the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for employment visas under H-1 and H-1B categories will be able to use the material gathered by the Chamber’s survey.

This survey will reflect the current real, economic climate in the CNMI, as opposed to that found in Los Angeles, Honolulu, or Guam, and as an extremely valuable tool in keeping the cost of business affordable in these challenging economic times.

The Chamber survey is separate from the one that the CNMI government is preparing.