Labor calls attention of employers for some violations

The CNMI Department of Labor’s Administrative Hearing Office has called the attention of several employers for their alleged failure to comply with some labor regulations.

Compliance agency cases were filed against Christopher G. Imbo, which does business as MGI Manpower Group International and Li’s Limited Corp., which does business as U Save Car Rental/Lucky Tour. The department’s Citizen Availability and Job Placement Section denied the appeal of TRI Enterprises Inc., which does business as Marianas Visiting Nurses.

In all these cases, Jerry Cody presided as hearing officer while James Ulloa represented the department.

Cody said that Imbo and MGI Manpower Group failed to post job vacancy announcements on Labor’s website, as required by its regulations.

DOL regulations state that employers “who intends to hire or renew a foreign national worker on a full-time basis ‘must’ post the JVA’s” on its website.

MGI Manpower also failed to submit quarterly total workforce listings, workforce plans for 2015 and 2016, and to respond to Labor’s notice of warnings.

Cody is authorized but not required to levy a maximum of $2,000 fine for each violation.

As judgment, Cody slapped a fine totaling $6,200 on Imbo. He directed Imbo to pay the amount in three installments of $2,000 twice, and $2,200 due every 28th day of the month.

He also ordered the respondent to submit an updated and complete 2017 workforce plan by providing copies to the Enforcement and Compliance, and Hearing offices.

The administrative order also ordered Imbo to post JVAs and job renewals on the Labor website in the future. Failure to comply may result to filing of new charges. Imbo can appeal the case to Labor Secretary Edith Deleon Guerrero within 15 days.

In his administrative order for Li’s Limited Corp., Cody said the company also failed to post JVAs in 2015 and 2016; submit quarterly total workforce listings in the fourth quarter of 2015, and second and third quarters of 2016; and submit a workforce plan in 2015.

Li Liang, the registered agent of the company, failed to appear in the hearing.

Limited Corp. was ordered to pay a total of $4,500 but $1,500 of it would be suspended for one year then extinguished “on the condition that Limited Corp. commits no further violation of labor statutes and regulations in one year, and complies with the terms of the order.

Limited Corp. is also ordered to submit total workforce listings for the fourth quarter of 2016 and an updated and complete workforce plan for 2017 by giving copies to the Labor office no later than 30 days. DOL has also ordered Li’s Limited Corp. to post accurate JVAs and job renewals on their website while also warning that failure to comply would reinstate the suspended sanctions.