‘NMI working closely with US Labor’

The CNMI Department of Labor has been working closely with its federal counterpart in making sure the concerns of workers that are still protesting are met and that safety of the construction site would be the top priority of contractors hired at the ongoing casino-resort project in Garapan.

That’s according to a statement released by the Torres administration yesterday, adding that local Labor personnel regularly visit the remaining workers that protested and they are also cooperating with U.S. Labor officials so that back wages are paid.

“Additionally, USDOL and the CNMI government are working closely to mediate violations, deploy corrective actions, facilitate medical care for the workers, and enforce employer accountability.

“The administration continues to strengthen enforcement efforts going forward to prevent situations such as these from occurring again and assure the public that measures are being put into place to find resolution to this issue.”

The administration also recognized the efforts of U.S. Labor in making sure issues on occupational safety are addressed while all fines and corrective actions for the facility are issued. “We would like to acknowledge that the safety of employees in the development of the facility remains a priority.”

“[The Commonwealth Casino Commission] is still requesting information needed for IPI to meet conditions for complying with the law to fulfill regulations and [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] standards.”

OSHA has proposed a total of $193,750 in fines and penalties on three construction companies that IPI hired to build the Imperial Pacific Resort, after finding out that they violated federal regulations.

OSHA cited MCC International Saipan Ltd. Co., the main contractor for the project, with 10 violations that cost $81,484 in penalties, while Nanjing BeiLiDa New Material System Engineering Co. is given $81,483 in proposed penalties for 10 violations. Gold Mantis Construction Decoration Saipan LLC is being proposed with $30,783 in fines on four safety violations.

The administration said they remain steadfast in monitoring what had transpired. “We remain steadfast in monitoring the progress of the facilities and OSHA compliance, the abatement of all violations and the well-being of all employees under IPI contractors and their adherence to federal and local laws.”