Fitial to lawmakers: Let CUC hire alien workers

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial yesterday urged the Legislature to amend the law to allow the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to hire alien workers to address the severe manpower shortage at CUC’s power generation division.

This came as the Governor’s Strategic Economic Development Council has adopted a resolution urging Fitial to exercise his powers to hire guest workers for CUC to ensure the consistent delivery of power, water, and wastewater services to Saipan residents.

SEDC also asked the governor to urge the Board of Education to consider delaying the opening of public schools on Saipan—currently scheduled to open on Sept. 8—until Sept. 16 or until such time that Aggreko’s temporary power plants begin producing the additional power to allow public schools to operate uninterrupted or at the very minimum experience no more than two hours of outage during school hours.

SEDC’s resolution, approved Wednesday, was signed by co-chairs Robert Jones and Marian Aldan-Pierce and attested by assistant to co-chairpersons Teresa K. Kim.

Citing the crisis situation at CUC’s power plants, Fitial asked Senate President Pete P. Reyes and House Speaker Arnold I. Palacios to immediately amend Public Law 15-108 to allow CUC to hire skilled foreign workers to repair and maintain the power plants.

“As CUC executive director Antonio S. Muña previously communicated, a change in law to allow CUC to hire such skilled workers would provide tremendous relief to the overburdened CUC crew struggling to keep our engines running,” said the governor in his letter yesterday.

The chief executive noted that his view is also shared by the SEDC.

According to SEDC’s resolution, CUC currently lacks the manpower to effectively operate its power plants as it is unable to hire the necessary workers due to the restriction placed by Public Law 15-108 in hiring guest workers.

SEDC said Fitial’s Aug. 1, 2008, executive order 2008-10 declaring a state of disaster emergency for the CNMI, empowers the governor to suspend the restrictions placed by P.L. 15-108 in order to hire foreign workers to fill the technical and professional positions at CUC.

SEDC asked Fital to invoke the power conferred upon him by the executive order in order to hire 12 or the necessary number of alien workers.

Last Monday, the House unanimously agreed to let CUC hire 12 alien workers and renew the contracts of seven others who are currently employed at the utility agency.

The bill, introduced by Vice Speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, originally sought to hire 12 guest workers. But Rep. Edward T. Salas offered an amendment on the floor to change it to 19 during the session.

With a 16-0 vote, the legislation is now with the Senate.

The Senate deliberated the bill yesterday afternoon. When Saipan Tribune left the Senate chamber, the senators were still discussing the bill.

Power plant officials have informed Muña that the removal of the 20 alien workers in September 2007 dramatically impacted the overall operation of the power generation division.

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