Unless 3-year limit is repealed HANMI warns of economic disaster
Four out of every 10 workers currently in the hotel industry will be sent home in the coming year if the three-year limit on the stay of alien workers is not repealed.
This would spell another major economic hardship for an industry that’s already suffered from a serious decline since 1997, according to the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands.
In a survey taken this month of the Association’s members, it was reported that the hotels will lose approximately 1,145 people, or 41 percent of their work force if the three-year limit remains on the books.
Alien workers currently make up 61 percent of the Hotel Association’s work force overall. The average alien stays on the job for 5.5 years compared to an average of 3.5 for local resident employees.
“What the figures tell us is that our tourism industry is headed for disaster if we don’t repeal the three-year limit law,” said HANMI President Ronald D. Sablan.
“We’re trying very hard to hire more locals, and their gradually rising percentage in our industry shows that we’re making progress through our outreach efforts, training, scholarship programs, etc., but there are still not enough residents to fill all of the jobs,” he added.
According to Mr. Sablan, the three-year limit will be very costly to the tourism industry and its competitiveness.
“Where will the money come from to repatriate, rehire and retrain when we’re already hurting? We can’t pass these costs along to tourists. Our service quality will also be lost when we lose our long-term, trained employees – and that’s something visitors won’t stand for when there are so many competing destinations available,” he said.
The three-year limit is already hurting staff morale. As time goes by without action by the legislature, this will start to show even more in the way we serve our guests, the HANMI president said.
According to Mr. Sablan, during last year’s committee work and negotiations between the Senate and the business community on the Omnibus Labor Reform Act, business representatives were promised that a repeal would be considered after the US elections.
“The Hotel Association has a long history of strongly objecting to the 3 year limit. It was passed at a time when there were a number of projectionist moves in the legislature designed to put a lid on development and try to appease a handful of federal officials that don’t understand our economy,” he said.
He added that: “In my meetings in Washington in 1999, it was obvious that some US legislators thought the three-year limit law was a ridiculous idea in any case. Now the economic tides have certainly changed and we hope our Senate will honor their commitment to give their immediate attention and support to the repeal in House Bill 12-317.”
Mr. Sablan went on further to say that local officials must take into account the needs of existing businesses. “Our legislators should seriously think about what’s good for the local economy first. The 3-year limit law clearly is not in our best interests.”
