The House Legal Affairs/Judiciary Committee has voted to table a bill which would extend the guest worker program, now available to the StarKist cannery, to stevedoring companies.
Acting Attorney General, Roy JD Hall Jr. said, at a hearing on the bill last week, that the AG’s Office doesn’t support the bill. This was the same testimony from the chair of the Immigration Board, Fanene Edda Wyberski.
Hall said, the guest worker program—which fast tracks the hiring of citizens of Samoa to work for the canneries—was designed to fill the labor needs of the cannery, which is the major industry for the territory. He said, the program is well managed, albeit there are some problems, but the cannery is on track of the people it brings in and it’s working well.
He also pointed out problems with making the guest worker program available to stevedoring companies because of the nature of the business.
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Chair of the Immigration Board, Fanene said that the board also doesn’t support extending the guest worker program to the stevedoring business.
She said, presently there are issues with workers especially young ones being hired from Samoa to work for the cannery. Some of the problems they encounter are with their host families, or they find out that they don’t like the cannery work. If guest workers don’t show up for work, their employment is terminated and they are sent home.
Some try to sneak before the board for a change of sponsorship but they are returned to Samoa, said Fanene. They cannot continue to live here or work somewhere else.
Since the start of the guest worker program, there have been 1,490 arrivals, total applications paid and IDs issued is 1,488, Guest Workers who have been terminated or have resigned is 301 and Active Guest workers is 1,189.
Sam Fuimaono, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer explained that when guest workers are terminated their immigration IDs are also terminated and they cannot return within a year.
He said, Immigration doesn’t have any control over their Social Security Numbers.
Hall said, Social Security is under federal law and once a person is issued an SSN, it’s theirs for life.
Rep. Samuel Meleisea, who sponsored the bill, said it was intended to help the stevedoring businesses facing difficulties finding workers. He urged Committee members to consider the importance of the supply chain and shipping for the territory’s livelihood. He said, as much as the administration has emphasized the need to ensure the territory’s supply chain and shipping is secure, there’s been little evidence of support.
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He motioned to table the bill and the committee voted in favor.
