On Saipan’s garment sector US Congress sees true picture

Local garment industry officials are pleased that members of US Congress are now aware of the real conditions inside Saipan garment factories despite continuous attempts by the CNMI’s critics to malign the industry.

Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association Executive Director Richard A. Pierce lauded a recent “Dear Colleague” letter from US Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-California) recognizing the “overwhelmingly positive” improvements made in Saipan’s garment companies over the last few years.

Mr. Pierce at the same time took issue with criticism aired last month by Rep. George Miller (R-California) purporting alleged “ongoing wage and labor rights violations in factories operating in some of our American territories.”

According to Mr. Pierce, Mr. Miller in a statement to the House, conveniently grouped Saipan with American Samoa as far as alleged labor abuses and worker exploitation are concerned, and chose to ignore whatever progress NMI factories have achieved in terms of labor reform.

Mr. Miller’s statements, which were entered into the Congressional Record last April 5 along with a March 31, 2001 Honolulu Star Bulletin article, raised concern about alleged sweatshop conditions, worker beatings, unpaid wages and indentured servitude in American Samoa’s Daewoosa garment factory.

Much of the conditions in Daewoosa were similar to the situation on Saipan, the article alleged, as it highlighted 1998 federal lawsuits that “accused 32 Saipan contractors of beatings, forced abortions, and rat-infested quarters in essentially a prison environment surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards.”

“It is really funny that at the same time Rep. Doolittle, OSHA and others are saying good things about Saipan, Mr. Miller and (US.) Sen. (Daniel) Akaka have opted to ignore the true picture,” said Mr. Pierce, as he protested the American Samoa experience is far from being “remotely similar to that of Saipan today.”

SGMA officials last week started a series of in-house inspections of factories aimed at ensuring their compliance with federal safety and health regulations, as set forth under a partnership agreement between garment companies and US Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The voluntary inspections were meant to help factories shape up under the so-called Excellence 2000 Program. SGMA’s independent monitoring firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, will also begin a new round of monitoring inspections in mid-May of all SGMA factories.

Saipan recently received praise from OSHA’s Region IX Administrator Frank Strasheim for “making improvements in a startling and impressive fashion.”

Mr. Doolittle for his part acknowledged the reforms in the local industry noting that “They’re well on their way to becoming a model for the rest of the world.”

“The progress made in the CNMI is worthy of our acknowledgment,” Mr. Doolittle said in his March 13 “Dear Colleague” letter. “It should serve as a reminder that Congress often acts best when it chooses not to act at all.”