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Labor Department in need of hearing officers
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Posted on Jan 16 2006
Acting Department of Labor Secretary Gil M. San Nicolas underscored yesterday the need to immediately hire a full-time administrative hearing officer.
San Nicolas said the Division of Administrative Hearings is now short of hearing officers due to the retirement of Maya Kara on Dec. 9 and the election of Cinta Kaipat as congresswoman.
San Nicolas said there is only one full-time hearing officer—Jerry Cody—right now.
Former judge and attorney general Herbert Soll has been serving only as a part-time hearing officer, the acting secretary said.
“There is only one position vacant for a hearing officer. And we need to fill that immediately,” said San Nicolas, who was a member of a three-member panel in the department tasked to interview vacant positions before the new administration came in.
“ Right now, we are addressing those vacant positions that are important for our routine operations,” he said.
San Nicolas stressed the importance of the hearing officers’ role in educating people on labor laws and regulations.
“I keep on saying it that our job, our goal is also to educate both employers and employees,” he said.
If the parties understand what they need to do under the Nonresident Workers Act and the regulations, “then I guess everybody will be on the same boat…”
San Nicolas said there would be less Labor complaints if the employers pay their workers properly and if the employees are doing what they are supposed to do.
