Transcript Edith DeLeon Guerrero - CNMI Secretary of Labor
THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS (CNMI) A PERIOD OF TRANSITION
Where we were before WTO (2005) and US PL 110-229 • • • • Local immigration control 1978-2009 The CNMI had 34 garment factories $80M direct revenue from the garment industry 40,420 were employed in 2004
The 1976 Covenant Agreement
• • CNMI – Self governance – US citizenship – Exemption from federal immigration laws and certain federal minimum wage provisions US – Foreign Affairs and Defense – Right to apply federal law in exempted areas without consent
US PL 110-229 CNRA Consolidated Natural Resources Act • • • • • Came into effect 2009 CNMI umbrella permits issued 2009-2011 to allow legal status of foreign workers in the CNMI Calls for the transition of foreign workers by December 2014 Pending 5 year extension request approval from US Secretary of Labor or July 5, 2014 5 year extension if approved will end 2019
25 000 20 000 15 000 10 000 5 000 0 FY 2011 Approved CWs for CNMI A Gradual Reduction
DHS CNMI Only Non-Immigrant CWs
22 417 22 416 15 000 14 000 FY 2012
Fiscal Year
FY 2013 FY 2014
Number of CWs Issued to Date
• • • 10, 655 - As of December 24, 2013 FY 12 – 7054 approved beneficiaries (FOIA) FY 13 - 9617 approve beneficiaries (FOIA) – Total FY 12/FY 13 Combined – 16,671 (FOIA) Number of Foreign Workers in CNMI •
Year 2012 14,199
•
Year 2011 17,073
•
Year 2010 16,743
•
Year 2009 18,053
Unified Concerns
• • • • 5 year extension request – CNRA requires US Secretary of Labor (Tom Perez) to decide 180 days prior to December 31, 2014 or July 5, 2014 US Immigration Reform – House version (Gang of Seven) – Senate version S.744
500 E2-C Investor Visas Minimum wage – S.256
Transition Time Clocks
• December 2014 December 2019
We have to be Bullish Pre/During/Post Transition
Our Strategies
• • • • • • • Governor’s Target 2014 Task Force was formed CNMI Labor law amended to require all JVAs to be posted on the CNMI DOL Job Bank (Jan, 31, 2014 effective) Sector trainings on-going CNMI DOL transformation initiatives on-going CNMI DOL Enforcement Activities Increased Job Fairs conducted on Saipan, Rota and Tinian Invoked Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Saipan Job Fair Results (Nov. 2013)
Not Registered with DOL; 105 Working ; 48 Registered with DOL; 175 Blank; 30 Blank ; 177 Not Working ; 404 High School Graduate; 319 No NAP; 249 NAP Recipient; 178 Non High School Graduate; 125 Blank; 383 Both; 28 SHEFA; 15 CNMI Scholarship Recipient; 31 Not A Veteran; 432 Blank Age; 182 Veteran; 17 65+ ; 3 60-64; 3 US Citizen; 338 Greencard; 9 Female; 267 FAS Citizen; 14 Non US Citizen; 85 Male; 182 55 59; 8 30-34; 24 50-54; 10 35-39; 20 16-19 Yrs; 50 20-24; 88 25-29; 24