Bill seeks to rehire 12 alien workers for CUC

Rep. Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero yesterday introduced a bill that seeks to hire again at least 12 alien workers to address the severe manpower shortage at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s power generation division.

This developed as power officials informed CUC executive director Antonio Muna that the removal of the 20 alien workers in September 2007 dramatically impacted the overall operation of the power generation division.

“Units are breaking down because of the lack of personnel to address preventive maintenance inspection and proper operational supervision, including the plant auxiliary systems, not to mention the reverse osmosis system for the power cooling system and the incinerator area,” according to the report.

The report was signed by plant manager Almondo S. Santos, plant general managing engineer Venugopal Prabhakara and five other officials.

The officials pointed out that the manpower shortage has also affected staff morale to the point of exhaustion, such that no one wants to report for work anymore on weekends and during emergency calls.

Muna tagged along some power plant officials and crew members to the House’s chamber where the legislation was discussed yesterday afternoon.

Muna explained to lawmakers the problems plaguing the power plants, including the manpower shortage, blackouts, and condition of power engines.

When Saipan Tribune left the House’s session, Prabhakara, using power engine tools, was still demonstrating to lawmakers the problems with the engines.

The officials stated that they had emphasized in the past that CUC must retain some of the nonresident staff on direct hire to train the local workforce, since majority of these employees have the educational background, extensive training and experience on the units, which is required when training a new local workforce.

“Again, this request was not considered or implemented,” the officials stressed.

In summary, the officials said, the action of terminating the services of the alien workers “did not do any good for CUC or the Saipan consumers.”

CUC is currently unable to employ foreign national workers to fill certain essential positions pursuant to restrictions in Public Law 15-108.

At present, CUC could not find qualified permanent residents or citizen employees to fill essential positions.

Vice Speaker Deleon Guerrero stated in his bill that extending the exemption for hiring alien workers within the government is necessary to ensure the delivery of uninterrupted power, water, and wastewater services to the CNMI.

“Accordingly, the purpose of this legislation is to allow CUC to hire up to 12 foreign national workers to fill technical and professional positions at CUC and to extend such exemption to year 2010,” Deleon Guerrero said.

Under the proposed measure, CUC may contract with manpower services or directly hire power plant mechanics and utility technicians, provided that the hiring shall not exceed 12 employees.

Deleon Guerrero earlier told Saipan Tribune that the law that caused CUC not to renew the contracts of long-time nonresident workers drastically cut down the number of mechanics, assistants, and technicians at the Power Plant 1 alone from 42 down to 24 or 26.

He noted that the power plant situation worsened as the manpower shortage was compounded by power engine problems.

“Their staff [at Power Plant 1] are basically getting burned out,” Deleon Guerrero said. “When you lack manpower, you put people on overtime and that’s a cost in itself.”

In 2005, then governor Juan N. Babauta signed bills into law extending the employment of over a hundred nonresident workers in some government offices, including at CUC, for one to five years.

The measure allowed CUC to keep its nonresident engineers and power plant mechanics for two more years or until Sept. 30, 2007.