Jobless since April last year

One of the 180 government employees who remain furloughed and had had no job since April last year says she has been surviving thanks to some side hustle and with the help of her children, who send her money.

The employee, who asked not to be identified, also questioned the selection process the Office of Personnel Management used in selecting which government employee would be furloughed. 

A single mother of six, she said her situation is compounded by the fact that, although her children are all grown up, the youngest is still in college in the U.S. mainland.

“It hurts me when my youngest asks for money to support her studies and I could not give any,” said the employee, adding that she would just give excuses so her daughter would not notice that she’s hurting and crying. 

To survive, she’s doing some “side projects” and that she is thankful her other children, who are all in the U.S. mainland, all help her. 

The employee acknowledges that her situation is not unique to herself alone, that she was among several employees who’ve been furloughed and that everybody else, except for five of them, have been called back to work. 

She said she has been furloughed since April 2020 and has not heard any word from her superior whether she will get back her job or if she will be among those who will be terminated. The employee said she fails to understand why she was furloughed when she was the one who trained many of her co-workers.

“The Office Of Personnel Management’s protocol has not been properly done,” she said, hinting that she is consulting a Guam lawyer to explore her legal options. She did not elaborate but when asked why she prefers a lawyer from Guam, the employee said 99% of lawyers in the CNMI are affiliated with the current administration. 

When sought for comments, press secretary Kevin Bautista said the government is following reduction-in-force procedures as outlined in the personnel regulations under the NMI Administrative Code and in consultation with the Civil Service Commission, Office of Personnel Management, and the Office of the Attorney General.

Bautista said they have done their part to formally inform the Legislature as well.

He said OPM is working with departments and agencies on the process.

“While this administration has done everything we could to bring back furloughed employees from the initial furlough process last year, we still do not have the local revenue to bring back these 180 employees,” he said.

Bautista said the island economy, which is reliant on tourism whether they like it or not, took a major hit last year with the pandemic.
He said the goal remains the same, which is to ensure that they rebuild the economy so that the CNMI can have the revenue necessary to bring these employees back.

Bautista said it’s exactly why Gov. Ralph DLG Torres continues to work with the Marianas Visitors Authority on the tourism reopening plan and has asked the Legislature to pass revenue-generating bills.

“Through collective effort, we can rebuild our economy, but it’s all hands on deck at this unprecedented point,” he said.

Last Tuesday, Torres initiated a reduction-in-force procedures involving 180 government employees that are currently furloughed and will be let go from their jobs permanently.

In his letter to legislative leaders, Torres said the government will need $5,688,239 this fiscal year to recall these 180 employees.