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$600K available to help former garment workers
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Posted on May 21 2009
The Garment Workers Trust Fund still has $600,000 available to assist former garment workers who are still on Saipan and are facing hardships.
Former Superior Court associate judge Timothy H. Bellas, who served as chairman of the defunct Garment Oversight Board, said the $600,000 is leftover money from the checks distributed to the workers as settlement in the class action against garment factories.
Bellas said the checks came back or were not cashed and became the trust fund.
“Under the terms of the settlement agreement, it is supposed to go to help workers if we can. …If we can’t, then it goes to charity,” he said.
The trust fund is accepting applications until Aug. 15, 2009, from former garment workers who want to avail of the funding.
Applicants need to send their applications either in Chinese or English to GWTF P.O. Box 505943 Saipan, MP 96950.
Bellas said the money that will remain from the $600,000 will then be donated to charity.
“After Aug. 15, we are going to put out another advertisement, saying that if you are a charitable organization, submit an application to us and we will consider a donation to you,” he said.
The donation must be approved and must include the input of U.S. District Court for the NMI chief judge Alex R. Munson.
Bellas stressed that they are not going to give money to a former garment worker who is illegally staying here.
“If the guy is here and he needs money to feed him and to clothe him and to get him on his feet, then we are going to get him a ticket and get him out here. What I’m saying is, we might exceed the $1,000 for a ticket to give him a little pocket money to get him food and get him on his feet before he departs,” he said.
The chairman said they are not going to support those who don’t have a job and who don’t have a legitimate immigration status.
GOB was set up pursuant to the $20-million settlement agreement in the class action against the garment industry.
