PSS caterer also affected by CW delays
One of the six companies that provide catering services for the CNMI Public School System’s Food and Nutrition Services program is reportedly short-staffed due to delays in the Commonwealth-only worker permit renewals.
Barney’s Pizza & Catering, which has done business on Saipan for several years, helps serve approximately 14,000 meals each day to almost 11,000 public school and Head Start students, including some private schools and day care programs.
Saipan Tribune learned that because of the company’s shortage of cooks and servers, another catering company, also contracted by PSS, was asked internally to help provide meals to mitigate the setback.
Saipan Tribune attempted several times in the last week to contact Barney’s Pizza on their status, but has been unable to obtain more information.
According to Food and Nutrition Services director Dale Roberts, Barney’s Pizza has shut down their main office and has essential staff focusing their efforts on ensuring that student meals are ready.
He stated that no shortage of meals has been reported since the start of the delays on Dec. 31.
If one takes note of companies struggling to stay open, have limited hours of operation, limited services, or have closed their business ARE companies that are mostly owned and operated by either Filipinos or Chinese; with the exception of Triple J, owned by Bob Jones (Troung’s Vietnamese Restaurant).
Joeten Enterprises group of companies, JET Holdings (Juan Santiago), MV Reyes Catering, Tun Herman & Tan Marikita Guerrero LLC (Herman’s Modern Bakery) are in the food industry, and have not expressed such “polarized” CW1 issues.
Is this the prelude to cause chaos and to use the so-called LOCAL people to force the issue onto the USCIS?
This is what happened in the last two decades of keeping a watchful eye on public policy where the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Hotel Association (HANMI) have influenced the direction of legislations and employment opportunities for the LOCALS.
Our island has become addicted to foreign labourers because they can continue to keep the minimum wage at the least possible MINIMUM! The minimum wage has not parred with the high cost of living in the CNMI, leaving the U.S. citizen workers to earn a foreign country standard of living where at the foreign countries low wages, inexpensive commodities, etc., are the standards.
There are hundreds unemployed, there are at least one thousand students graduating from our High Schools and college annually; including returning Veterans who are able to work. But with the minimum wage stagnant in the last 30 years, no wonder that the CNMI is lagging behind in providing decent wage and a pool of trained and qualified US citizen workforce.
The immigration take over by the Federal government is a blessing in disguise for the LOCALS and all U.S. citizens regardless of color or race. This ensures the credibility of the hiring process.
And even with the USCIS in place, still there are several businesses who are able to manipulate the system; for example, a mock up interview process, setting qualification standards based on the existing CW occupying the position, even if the position is trainable, and are using this scheme just to fulfill the hiring process requirements. But they NEVER intended to replace the Alien Workers (CW) with a US citizen, or have another CW with US citizen children take over the vacant position. This is a fact and can be supported with evidence!
And who is to blame for all these economic chaos?! None other than our Elected and Appointed officials, including the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Hotel Association (HANMI); and our Educational Institutions.
Our nearest neighbor Islands of GUAHAN (Guam) is not having these kinds of people shortage. Our distant Pacific Island nation, HAWAII, is not having these kinds of shortage.
So, the last resort and a MUST at this juncture of our “Economic Development”; and in our pursuit of a “higher standard of living” for all citizens – it is time to Organize, to “Amend” the Constitution to allow any U.S. citizen to assemble or organize a LABOR UNION… so, we can all share a cut in the Profit.
Lastly, we MUST have job security – health and life insurance, and Retirement. We cannot only rely on social security to ensue that we have at least a livable pension during our “Golden Age.”
Food for thought!
Peace!
The only business not struggling is the Govt. But, here everyone can see plainly yet another case of why the locals are up the creek. Why are any contracts written to firms that employ CW’s by the Govt, by PSS, by CUC or any other of the tentacles holding down the locals. The PI business model of growing humans for export is what has happened, do they send money from their better paying jobs abroad to their families just like Philippine workers? Maybe to start, but, then life has a way of taking over. Bravo to those who continue to honor their families, so long as the money doesn’t just end up in some poker parlor.