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Non-exempt staff stop working
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Posted on Oct 22 2005
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has finally let go of its three nonresident workers whose positions are not covered under the new exemption law.
CUC executive director Lorraine A. Babauta said that CUC’s trade technician, accountant, and computer analyst have stopped working and have left the CUC.
Two weeks ago, Babauta said that these non-exempt personnel remained on call.
The new law, Public Law 14-91, which extends the authority of certain government agencies to hire nonresident workers, only allowed engineers and manpower-hired plant mechanics at CUC’s power generation plants.
“They [non-exempt] stopped working,” said Babauta Thursday.
She earlier said that her office would be lobbying the Legislature again to amend the law to include “professional services” as among the exempt positions.
The new law gives CUC two years to keep its exempt personnel.
The affected nonresident workers have 45 days or until early November to seek other employment in the CNMI or go back to their countries of origin.
CUC employed 11 nonresident workers in fiscal year 2005.
These included one accounting officer, one information technology analyst, three engineers, and three trades technician.
CUC Tinian does not employ nonresident workers while Rota has two.
