{"id":297359,"date":"2019-04-11T06:06:54","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T20:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=297359"},"modified":"2019-04-11T06:06:54","modified_gmt":"2019-04-10T20:06:54","slug":"employers-should-consult-local-labor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/employers-should-consult-local-labor\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Employers should consult local Labor\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Matt Deleon Guerrero\u00a0discusses the process of gathering information from employers in the ongoing prevailing wage survey during yesterday\u2019s Society of Human Resources Management meeting at Pacific Islands Club-Saipan\u2019s Charley\u2019s Cabaret. (Jon Perez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To avoid confusion, the CNMI Department of Labor is advising all employers to simply approach it if they have questions or other things that they want to clarify about the new policies in submitting for petitions for CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1 visa)\u2014either renewals or new hires.
\nThis was the advice of Eugene Tebuteb, director of the Employment Services Division of the CNMI Department of Labor, to all employers, whether they are small or big business, to avoid confusion on how to file the CW1 petitions and to better understand the federal Labor Department\u2019s interim final rule.<\/p>\n

The IFR was released late last month and took effect on April 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recommend that, if employers have questions, refer it to us at CNMI Labor. We are working closely with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security on this,\u201d Tebuteb told Saipan Tribune after yesterday\u2019s meeting of the NMI Chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management at PIC-Saipan\u2019s Charley\u2019s Cabaret.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, we have regular conference calls with them [U.S. DOL and DHS],\u201d said Tebuteb, who added that they could also forward the questions to DOL and DHS officials and get back to them once answers have been provided.<\/p>\n

The IFR for temporary employment requires employers when they submit their CW-1 petitions to obtain a prevailing CNMI wage for the position and a temporary labor certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor.<\/p>\n

SHRM NMI Chapter president Catherine J. Cachero also advised employers to analyze their situation before submitting the petitions for their foreign workers. \u201cEvery employer needs to consider their needs and do their analysis on who their critical employees are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tebuteb said the local Labor Department had already prepared even before the IFR was implemented, that the changes on how to petition for foreign workers will take effect today and they expect only minor problems. \u201cOur Web administrator has done everything that we needed to do to modify our website\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep in mind, we\u2019re still in a testing environment. We\u2019re going to probably experience things that we need to figure out and settle but, once it is effective tomorrow, you can actually start posting your [job vacancy announcements].\u201d
\n\u00a0
\nInformation campaign<\/p>\n

Tebuteb reminded employers that the CNMI Department of Labor will hold a community outreach event on May 21 at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center from 9am to 3pm to further inform the community about ongoing issues with labor and employment.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the divisions within the department will describe all their roles, responsibilities, and duties, and explain the [interim final rule] that has just been implemented,\u201d said Tebuteb.<\/p>\n

SHRM will also have a separate seminar and workshop on May 9 and June 27 on personnel policies to make sure employers are compliant with CNMI and federal labor laws.
\n\u00a0
\nNew PWS<\/p>\n

Northern Marianas Business Alliance Corp. president Alex Sablan said they and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce are assisting in the prevailing wage survey. <\/p>\n

The current PW would no longer be used since it was taken not within this year. \u201cSo, we needed to conduct a PWS to capture the wages in this particular calendar year,\u201d Sablan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thankful for the [CNMI] Department of Commerce, Labor, and the Governor\u2019s Office for always being there to assist us,\u201d he said. \u201c[The Commerce Department] is conducting the survey.\u201d<\/p>\n

He assured that the Chamber, of which he is a board member, has nothing to do with the survey information.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may have seen the PWS, the online version, and the email information is going to the DOC\u2019s Central Statistics Division. We [SCC] get nothing,\u201d added Sablan.<\/p>\n

He said that they began the process of determining the prevailing wage as soon as they came back from Washington D.C. early this year. \u201cWhen we came back, we quickly martialed our resources,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Sablan said Matt Deleon Guerrero had been helpful in getting things up and running as quickly as possible in sifting through the methodology and discussions with the federal Labor Department. \u201cTo make it as efficient as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that it usually takes four to six months to conduct and compile a PWS and the CNMI is trying to do it in seven weeks.<\/p>\n

He said the NMBAC is thankful to the U.S. Labor Department for accepting the process they have been doing as they try to speed up things in getting all the information available.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to send follow up letters to U.S. Labor asking them to please approve the survey that was conducted as we complete this process. So come April 22, as we populate the numbers and get them to U.S. Labor, we\u2019re going to put them on their timeline on the 21 days that was promised to accomplish the process.\u201d
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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