A NEW FRIEND FOR YOU ALL

JOHN JOHN, IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU STOP FOLLOWING PL15-108. WHAT ARE YOU IMPLIMENTING? THAT THE LOCALS ARE NOT QUALIFIED? Wrong Again! WE DESERVE BETTER THAN $3.05 per hr. ESPECIALLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE.

Chamber’s Guerrero: New labor law bad for business
By By M. Deposa Variety News Staff Saipan Chamber of Commerce Juan T. Guerrero gestures during an interview with Variety at his office on Friday. Photo by Mark Peñaranda

THE president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce says they have no official position on the new labor law, but admits that its implementation will be bad for the business community.
Former Sen. Juan T. Guerrero on Friday said the businesses are particularly unhappy with P.L. 15-108’s provisions requiring the periodic exit of guest workers and restricting transfers.
He said the chamber may reiterate the concerns it expressed when the law was still a bill.
“It is not very conducive for the business community because it has provisions that will certainly impact small and large businesses,” Guerrero said.
He said the new law is also “unclear about many what’s and where’s.”
Guerrero said that as soon as the other members of the chamber submit their comments, they will come up with a unified position regarding P.L. 15-108.
He said they are currently reviewing the implementing regulations.
“The six-month exit and the non-transfer provisions are the things that we’re not too happy about,” Guerrero said. “We recognize the effort of the Legislature to push the business community to hire more local workers which we do not oppose, but the law also imposes too many restrictions that may not be good at this time and may lead to higher costs for businesses.”
He noted that the regulations for the six-month exit provision remain unclear.
On Friday, thousands of guest workers, local residents and businesspersons attended a unity march to express opposition to the new labor law.
Guerrero said the chamber sympathizes with the marchers’ position against P.L. 15-108.
He said the new law will restrict businesses from hiring new people.
“If there’s no local workforce available, who can fill the positions immediately? I don’t think businesses should be restricted from hiring a replacement,” Guerrero said, adding that the law’s impact on businesses should have been considered.
Right now, he added, to help address local unemployment, small businesses should not be exempted from the 20 percent local workforce requirement.