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Database of workers for military buildup in Guam being prepared
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Posted on Sep 17 2008
A foreign workers group is creating a database of skilled workers on Saipan for possible employment in Guam when the construction begins for the military buildup there.
The United Workers Movement will host a recruitment event on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008, from 1pm to 5pm at the American Memorial Park Amphitheater in Garapan. At the job fair, the organization will accept resumes and employment certifications from construction workers for submission to Guam contractors.
Local labor activist Irene Tantiado said the event was organized especially for construction workers who have recently lost, or are expecting to lose, their jobs due to the struggling economy in the Commonwealth.
“There are lots of construction workers out there whose contracts are ending and may not be renewed, or who were affected by downsizing. We cannot assure them of jobs, but we can at least put them in contact with potential employers,” said Tantiado.
She added that the job fair will benefit the Guam contractors, some of whom have already started recruiting workers from nearby countries like the Philippines to meet their expected need for skilled labor.
“It is more practical for them to hire from Saipan. It’s closer to Guam and the workers are already familiar with the islands. Plus, they will get a chance to meet the applicants—something they cannot do if they hire a manpower agency, say, in the Philippines, to do the interviews for them,” Tantiado said.
Guam is preparing for the relocation of thousands of U.S. armed forces personnel and their families from Okinawa, Japan. The effort will require a host of major construction projects to support it, such the building of new seaport infrastructure and housing. The construction boom is expected to happen in 2010.
Under a recently enacted immigration law, Guam and the Northern Marianas will be exempted from national caps on temporary worker visas through 2014.
