5-year CW extension OK’d

U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez has extended the CW program for five years or up to 2019, Gov. Eloy S. Inos told Saipan Tribune Thursday morning. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) also confirmed the decision, in a press release.

Sablan and Inos have been requesting the U.S. Labor secretary to extend the Commonwealth-only worker program ahead of the July 4 deadline to make a decision.

“Obviously, this was not an easy decision for the Secretary. It took more time than I wanted. But now we have to look forward. We have to use this extra five years to build the economic recovery in our islands and redouble efforts to replace foreign workers with U.S. workers,” Sablan said in a statement.

Perez’s decision to extend the CW program means the CNMI will continue to have immediate access to some 10,000 skilled and professional foreign workers beyond Dec. 31, 2014. This comes at a time when the CNMI economy is on its way to recovery and major construction projects are underway.

Full story on Friday’s paper.