A planned protest by faculty and staff of the American Samoa Community college that was to be held this morning at Utulei was called off yesterday.
The event was publicized on FaceBook over the weekend as a peaceful demonstration concerning the ASCC salary reclassification.
Before salaries of Dept of Education teachers and staff were implemented, ASCC was told by the Governor’s Office that they would also be receiving salary hikes.
But up to now the promised hikes haven’t eventuates.
At the opening assembly for the new school year at ASCC, Lt Governor Talauega Eleasalo Ale, who was Acting Governor at the time while Governor Lemanu was in Honolulu, assured funding to increase ASCC teacher salaries.
He also stated at a press conference of the Covid-19 Task Force around the same time it’s the Governor’s wish that the government support all branches of ASG including the college and the LBJ Hospital. He said they will find a way to fund the salary increases for teachers of ASCC. This was after the rest of the ASG workforce received pay increases.
The ASCC protest poster said, “It’s the faculty that makes ASCC great.”
Yesterday the same poster had “Postponed untill further notice” emblazoned in red across it.
KHJ News understands, the Board of Higher Education which oversees the college is to meet with Governor Lemanu today to discuss the promised salary increases.
