Labor unions’ backed policy

If special interest groups are allowed to dictate economic policies for these islands such as the US textile labor unions, then it is obvious that those who bite the bait aren’t necessarily mindful of the long-term consequence of ill-conceived policies frivolously whipped-up under the guise of protect the “Made in the USA” label.

The irony in the policy being pursued is that NMI detractors have already made up their minds without verifying alleged abuse of factory workers. In fact, little do they know that our apparel industry is now the safest in the world. Little do they know too that American Jurisprudence works in this tiny island for any and all who choose to violate worker rights be it in the tourism industry or any of the other industries.

The NMI has come a long way in this area. Its apparel industry has adopted a Code of Conduct and any member who violates it is suspended from the Saipan Garment Manufacturing Association until all discrepancies are rectified. We seriously doubt that the State of California, the capital of garment manufacturing, can meet the reforms instituted on this side of the Pacific Ocean by at least 20 percent.

Understandably, the apparel industry in California is highly protected by the textile labor unions where there are no laws on campaign contributions in place to guard against those who wish to secure “access” to politicians they’ve trapped in their deep pockets. It is for this reason that despite blatant violations of state and federal labor laws, abuses against California’s garment factory workers are often neglected or treated with inconsequence. Neither the state nor federal labor offices is equipped to monitor the thousands of factories spread out in California.

Perhaps the saddest part of the proposed economic sanctions being pushed by various US lawmakers is the arrogance with which it chooses to ruin the only industry that now provides jobs and steady revenue generation in the islands. We hope we’re wrong in the belief that this is the manner with which policies are made even against super minorities like the tiny group of US Citizens situated outside the fringe of mainstream America.

The more appropriate approach would have been to venture into allowing economic assimilation into the greater American Economic Community. After all, we believe that policies designed for any community throughout the country that encourages wealth and jobs creation must equally be made applicable in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. We too seek justice in all that the Principles of American Democracy stands for in encouraging its citizenry to pursue not only a “higher standard of living, but a “progressively higher standard of living”. Si Yuus Maase`!