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CSC applauds House passage of salary schedule bill
Appeals for Senate to also pass HB 19-03
Civil Service Commission board chair Herman HR Deleon Guerrero thanked the House of Representatives for its passage last week of House Bill 19-03, or the salary schedule bill.
“It’s a positive step forward. The House of Representative’s approval last week of House Bill 19-03, the bill initiated by the commission to establish a new salary schedule for the CNMI government’s civil service employees, is a giant next step in the approval process. With the House’s approval, it moves on to the Senate for their review and action, and then on to the governor. The commission and all civil service employees applaud the action of the House and thank its members for their foresight and support.”
“We anticipate and hope that the Senate and the governor will see the value of this bill and enact it into law,” Deleon Guerrero continued. “In a recent letter to the Senate, the commission asked the Senate for their assistance in passing the bill.”
An excerpt from this letter reads: “The Civil Service Commission is asking for the Senate’s support of House Bill 19-03. The House of Representatives recently approved this bill and it has been passed on for your consideration and action. The Civil Service Commission is asking that you act favorably regarding this Bill and pass it on to the Governor, as is, with your approval.”
“The commission initially submitted this bill as a draft to the legislature in an effort to update the current salary schedule for Commonwealth government Civil Service employees. The commission feels that approval of this bill is vital to the present and future welfare of both the government and its employees. The commission has expressed its position on more than one occasion that approval of this Bill is necessary.”
“The current salary schedule must be viewed as an embarrassment to the government. This schedule was established by Public Law 7-31 in 1991 and is outdated, with a significant portion of the schedule falling almost entirely below the current federal minimum wage for the CNMI. More steps will become unusable with each increase to the minimum wage. For reasons related to both employee welfare and the technical viability of the current statutory pay schedule, approval of this bill is a necessary step to correct this situation.”
The chairman emphasized to the Senate that House Bill 19-03 will update the compensation plan for the Commonwealth’s civil service employees. The bill will establish a new compensation plan that complies with the current and future federal CNMI minimum wage requirements and will be more economically realistic.
“The commission strongly supports the passage of House Bill 19-03,” Deleon Guerrero stated in closing. “On behalf of the Civil Service employees of the Commonwealth, it will deeply appreciate the Senate’s favorable consideration and approval of this bill.” (PR)
