CCC prods IPI on labor issues

The Commonwealth Casino Commission prodded Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) at the last commission meeting that the company should focus on hiring U.S.-eligible workers and be aware of the serious consequences of perjury.

According to CCC executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero, the commission is not happy with the human resource management aspect of IPI on Saipan.

Deleon Guerrero pointed out that IPI has “committed itself to hiring local and U.S. workers in its operations” and it should live up to that commitment. Also, he cited that the company had initially targeted 65 percent of its manpower to be U.S. eligible workers.

“Sixty-five percent is a very high target, considering the number of local bodies not being there. If they are thinking of hiring over 4,000 workers at the IPR and potentially up to 15,000 workers up to phase 1, there are not enough local people to meet those demands,” said Deleon Guerrero. He doubts the population of Saipan would be enough to meet IPI’s manpower needs.

“They have initially agreed to a 65 percent target. What the CCC is doing is keeping [the] spirit and letter of the agreement. If you agreed with the CNMI government that you will be having 65 percent, we want to know why you don’t have 65 percent,” said Deleon Guerrero.

The IPI workforce currently has 42 percent U.S. workers and 58 percent non-U.S. workers, which still puts it above Public Law 15-108’s requirement of 30 percent of employees being U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

IPI warned of possible perjury

Complaints of IPI not entertaining U.S. eligible workers were also brought up at the meeting. According to Deleon Guerrero, there is a requirement under the CW process that requires employers to certify with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that the company could not “find U.S. available workers.”

“We want to hold them accountable to that,” said Deleon Guerrero.

“If we have a lot of U.S. workers come to the CCC complaining that they have applied and not been entertained, we bring it to the attention of IPI that we have been informed by these applicants,” said Deleon Guerrero.

“It’s a criminal offense if you lie that you cannot find any U.S. eligible workers,” he said, urging IPI to take the matter seriously.

Deleon Guerrero pointed out that IPI is not required to hire every single U.S. applicant, but it must at least entertain the application.

“…If you are deemed unqualified, then that is a decision the business must make.”

Payment disparity

CCC mentioned that they have also received complaints of differences in salaries for positions with the same job descriptions. CCC reportedly received complaints about positions held by individuals who speak other languages earning more than their U.S. counterparts.

Deleon Guerrero said these complaints require investigations before “jumping to conclusions.”

But “make sure that the compensation for equivalent positions be fair, consistent, and comparable,” he added.

“Because a high number of their guests are Chinese, it would often require that applicants speak some level of Chinese,” explained Deleon Guerrero.

Despite having a predominant Chinese market, Deleon Guerrero urged IPI to keep language requirements to a minimum.

“What we are saying to them is that there may be some positions where language is not really necessary but could be used by the applicants as an excuse to isolate local U.S. workers, that we cannot tolerate,” he said.

“If we know this job requires [other skills] and no need for the applicant to be speaking, then perhaps language can either be minimal or [a part of training],” said Deleon Guerrero, adding that the CCC has been urging IPI to conduct Chinese language training for its staff.

“We’ve been bringing this up with them.”

During the meeting, IPI representatives said they would take into consideration the CCC’s suggestions and look into these matters.

MD: The Commonwealth Casino Commission prods Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) to focus on hiring U.S. eligible workers