Workers seek legal help on mass layoff
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (PIDP/CPIS) — Daewoosa Samoa’s Samoan workers are seeking an attorney to represent their interests now that they have been laid off as a result of the company closing its doors last Thursday night.
The company is in receivership and is the main defendant in a class-action suit filed by its Vietnamese workers.
Eight of the Samoan workers met with attorney Tauivi Tuinei yesterday to discuss possible representation, confirmed former Daewoosa assistant production manager Nu‘uuli Ioane.
“We are looking for a lawyer to represent our interests, the Samoan workers interests, especially in the class-action suit against Daewoosa that is now before the court,” Ioane said.
Because defending attorneys Marie Ala‘ilima Lafaele and Aitofele Sunia represent Daewoosa Samoa and its owner-president Kil-Soo Lee, the Samoan workers felt left out. They went looking for another attorney and found Tuinei.
“Everyone from the public to the court has been focusing their attention on the Vietnamese workers, protecting their interests, but no one seems to realize that the company has a Samoan workforce whose interests need to be protected while everything is being sorted out,” Ioane explained.
“No one has protected our interests since the beginning of the problems at Daewoosa Samoa,” he added.
“The Samoan workers have been quiet all this time,” he pointed out.
“Although there were times when we were also not paid for weeks, we maintained our silence because of the need to continue to have jobs.”
“I hope that everyone should realize already that Daewoosa Samoa was not allowed into the Territory to provide employment for foreign workers but for Samoans, the indigenous people of the Samoan islands,” Ioane further pointed out.
According to Ioane, the discussion with Tuinei will continue later this week with three appointed representatives from among the 85 Samoan workers.
“At the next meeting, we will put down what we want and what our interests are that need to be protected,” he added.
Ioane said some of the Samoan workers do not want anything filed against company owner and president Kil-Soo Lee.
“Although there were times when the Samoan workers would go without pay during at least four or five pay periods, we expected that we will still get paid later,” Ioane explained, noting that this is the reason why some of the workers do not want anything to happen to Lee.
“Lee provided jobs for the local workforce and we don’t get paid at times just like the Vietnamese workers, but we want to continue to work, to support our families,” said Ioane.
The Samoan workers also sent to reporters a Samoan language letter denying all allegations that there are problems between the Samoan and Asian workers.
The Samoan workers said the Vietnamese workers, who have been welcomed by many Samoan families, are giving the Samoan public the wrong information.
The letter said the public should hear the voices of the Samoan workers about their side of the story because they have been blamed constantly but no one has listened or understands their truth.
The group said there were no disputes between the Samoan and Asian workers until the U‘una‘i Legal Service got involved and created problems with the Vietnamese workers, who then disobeyed policies set by company management.
The group said every time management asked the Vietnamese workers to work, they always replied that “me no care,” “me no understand,” or “talk to my lawyer.”
“We believe that the U‘una‘i Legal Service is to provide assistance to indigenous Samoans,” the workers pointed out in their letter. “Isn’t this the reason why they were established in American Samoa? But now U‘una‘i has turned its back on its mission and is now attacking the Samoans, resulting in the loss of our jobs, which help feed our families.
