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No news on next wage hike, CNMI focuses on new federal money
Tuesday,
May 6, 2008
There’s no new information from Washington on the status of efforts to stall the next 50-cent increase in the minimum wage.
The Northern Marianas appears to be focusing its efforts now on getting the federal assistance that Governor Benigno Fitial and Congressman Faleomavaega requested to offset a downturn in the economies and help employees who may lose their jobs in the aftermath. The CNMI has hired a new firm in Washington D.C. to lobby for its request for $15 in federal aid. American Samoa also requested $15 million. Congressman Faleomavaega and CNMI Governor Fitial said the money would be spent on transportation projects, measures to bring down the cost of fuel and stabilize shipping, job retraining, emergency financial relief to affected employers, efficiency studies for local governments, and funding for essential public services. The Marianas Variety newspaper reported that the Fitial administration had initially lobbied Congress to pass a law suspending the second minimum wage hike due May 25. It is now widely believed that Congress won't be able to take this action in time, hence the backup plan to get the $15 million funding to cushion the wage hike's impact.
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