Our workforce crisis

So once again, we have a crisis with our workforce, now what’s the solution? Beg for another extension? Is this all we can do? Put the problem off for someone else to handle move? How about making demands before we start making concessions? The U.S. is but our political partner and because it took control of our immigration without any courtesy, we need to demand that back as our first option.

The 902 talks should focus at resolution of all our issues and problems with the U.S. through a total dissection of our Covenant and re-negotiation of those terms and conditions, which need to be updated preferably in our favor. The Covenant did provide for revisit after its first 25 years but aside from enjoying U.S. citizenship and federal dollars, we did nothing. Forty years later, we have a crisis?

So what does immigration control have to do with our workforce? Everything. Immigration has a direct impact on our workforce, which has a direct impact on our economy, which has a direct impact on our lives now and in the future as well as those of our children and generations to come. Still don’t get it?

When the U.S. took over our immigration it assumed total control over who comes into and stay in the CNMI including our tourists, investors, and our nonresident workers. These people contribute to our economy through taxes, goods and services, purchases, utilities, housing rentals, hospital, insurance, the list goes on but you get the point. What happens when they go? When more than half of our population leaves?

For starters, the departure of our no-resident workers not re-classed into H2 and their families reduces the number of taxpayers, shoppers, workers who perform the construction, the menial jobs, and so on, which reduces the amount of revenue collected by both the private sector and the government. Our major developments will shut down leaving many projects dangling, unfinished. For those that will be operating in 2018, they will start feeling the pain when their staff leave starting in January 2019.

Businesses will be under-staffed and coupled with reduced sales and services, may close. Those in the tourism industry will feel the impact as well. Our workforce crisis involves us all. For once, we need to set aside our differences, stop the bigotry and move forward as one community so we can stand a chance at survival.

Should we fail, the composite of our communities’ shortcomings will spell disaster for us all. Our version of doomsday, hell on earth, whatever term you want to call it will begin and we shall bear witness to massive numbers of repossessions, foreclosures and bankruptcies. Even the government, unable to collect enough revenue to continue operations and faced with more than a billion dollars in debt it can never pay, will be forced to reduce its staff and its services and maybe even resort to bankruptcy. CUC and CHC will flounder and force us to contend with regular blackouts and sick people dying needlessly.

Torres and crew need to do their absolute best in the 902 or be remembered as the one who failed the worst. So, which option is best?

Rudy M. Sablan
Garapan