Buildup speed up .
Friday, 30 April 2010 01:03
by Gerardo Partido
Marianas Variety News Staff
Any doubts that the military buildup on Guam won't happen were dashed earlier this week when Japan prime minister Yukio Hatoyama reportedly told the U.S. that he would abide with the original 2006 military realignment agreement.
Before that, some members of Hatoyama's coalition had been boasting that they would defy the U.S. and relocate the Futenma airbase outside Okinawa, perhaps even transfer it to Guam.
But the Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that President Obama told Hatoyama in no uncertain terms that Japan must abide by the original agreement or else.
Of course, Hatoyama, the next day, denied that he had caved in. He even joined a rally in Okinawa that called for the removal of the Futenma base. But that is just face-saving, an attempt to appease his constituents.
The Washington Post report is credible because Obama has long looked for a chance to prove that he is no wimp when it comes to global security issues. He has already been widely criticized for letting the Futenma issue stew. So his reported "blunt" talk with Hatoyama during the recent nuclear talks held in Washington D.C. has a ring of truth to it.
Hatoyama's self-imposed deadline of May for announcing his decision on Futenma is now upon us. Many analysts believe that his final decision will not be a radical departure from the original agreement. Perhaps small changes here and there to give a show of not totally capitulating to the U.S. But nothing radical to anger the U.S. and risk Japan's more than 50-year security relationship with the U.S.
There has been talk of minor revisions such as changes in the runway plan or pushing the proposed relocation site further away from population centers. The U.S. can live with these changes and is expected to give Hatoyama the political breathing room he needs.
Here on Guam, we are back to where we started and there is an even bigger sense of urgency now that it seems that the buildup will push through after all.
Nothing has been heard about the draft environmental impact statement since the comment period expired. The military, especially the JGPO, has been very reticent about whether concerns raised against the DEIS have been addressed. A "deafening" silence, as military buildup chair Sen. Judith Guthertz characterized it.
And yet, there are signs that the military buildup is speeding up. Younex has just broken ground on its $200 million workforce village that is capable of housing 18,000 guest workers expected to come to Guam for the buildup.
There are also rumors that teams of civilian-military contractors are already scouting areas where at least 9 new DoDEA schools will be constructed for the children of military personnel.
Ditto for the Barrigada area where the planned Army ballistic missile unit will be located. The teams are supposedly already planning for the area's "preliminary water piping." Now, water service has always been a sore point among Barrigada residents. Imagine the additional strain that the newcomers will bring to the water infrastructure in the area.
In fact, many are saying now that the water demand alone from the buildup is so massive that it warrants an entirely new and separate environmental impact study, especially with the military planning to dig up its own water wells to supplement the existing supply.
This is true as well for the Apra Harbor portion of the buildup plan, with its many facets covering possible ill effects on the marine environment in the area, including the possible danger of radioactivity.
All in all, the Guam military buildup plan is so huge and all-encompassing that in other states in the mainland, such an undertaking would require various, separate environmental impact studies.
In the meantime, errors in the one DEIS that we currently have continue to be uncovered. Some are laughable were it not for the fact that it is our island they are talking about. Imagine, making an elementary mistake on the sequence of the Guam and Pearl Harbor bombing?
Also, there's the possibility that sections of the DEIS may have been plagiarized. As the UOG professor who blew the whistle on the plagiarism said, if one part of the report is a lie then the whole thing becomes suspect.
And the U.S. government paid $87 million for this report! If they had employed more local professionals, perhaps the report would have been more accurate and more of those federal dollars would have stayed on island.
With such glaring mistakes and the wholesale condemnation of the report by the feds' own U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the federal government must consider redoing the whole DEIS and starting from scratch.
The military can't just release a final record of decision based on a draft that has been proven to be defective. There's simply no way we can accept a final EIS if that is based on the old DEIS.
We all want the economic benefits of the military expansion to start as soon as possible, but the buildup must be done properly so that our island suffers the least damage from it.
Showing posts with label H2 Workers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label H2 Workers. Show all posts
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
18,000 Beds Planned
18,000 beds planned: Worker housing project begins soon
By Dionesis Tamondong
Pacific Daily News
April 12, 2010
The construction of an 18,000-bed facility to house temporary workers for military buildup projects is set to break ground at the end of this month.
By Dionesis Tamondong
Pacific Daily News
April 12, 2010
The construction of an 18,000-bed facility to house temporary workers for military buildup projects is set to break ground at the end of this month.
The Ukudu Workforce Village, which covers about 75 acres of property spanning Tamuning and Dededo, is just one of a few sites that have been approved for living quarters for foreign workers needed for military construction work.
The Guam Land Use Commission has also recently approved an application by Black Construction Corp. for its workforce housing project in the Harmon Industrial Park. When completed, that complex can house up to 1,200 workers.
On Thursday, the commission approved DDT Konstract International's application for its 300-capacity barracks along Bello Road in Barrigada.
If the GLUC was to approve all the pending applications for temporary worker housing facilities, the existing and pending barracks would have the capacity to accommodate more than 23,000 foreign laborers, Department of Land Management Director Chris Duenas said.
That figure is close to the combined populations of Santa Rita, Agat, Talofofo, Umatac, Inarajan and Merizo.
Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares said she was initially concerned about the impact the Ukudu Workforce Village could have on her village -- from the strain on water lines to the traffic congestion. But she said most of her concerns have been allayed after learning more about the facility and requirements placed on the developer.
Younex Enterprises Corp., as part of the conditions of the commission's approval, is required to mitigate potential adverse impacts.
Younex must work with Guam Waterworks Authority to ensure water services in surrounding areas aren't disrupted by its workforce housing facility. As well, buses will transport the workers during non-peak traffic hours to alleviate traffic congestion.
One of the many other conditions requires that "written assurances are submitted stating that the conduct or behavior of the H-2 workers will not be disruptive to the island and its people. The workers should be briefed on Guam's culture and customs ... ," according to the conditional approval letter.
The commission and the Department of Defense have certain standard requirements for housing facilities of companies vying for military buildup projects.
So far, the Ukudu Workforce Village is the largest planned worker housing facility. Whether the complex actually meets its capacity depends on the projects awarded to Younex and the number of workers needed for those projects.
"We expect to open the first 2,000 beds in the fourth quarter of 2010 and will continue to add sectors of 2,000 beds as demand warrants, said Younex Senior Vice President David Tydingco. "By the end of 2011 we expect to be up to 8,000 beds, and that will grow as additional demand warrants."
The workforce village will provide workers three meals a day, a 24-hour medical clinic, organized recreational activities, banking services, convenience stores and other services.
The 252-acre property sits on the Harmon Annex adjacent to the Navy's South Finegayan family housing. About 75 acres of that property is dedicated for the worker housing facility, which is also conveniently located near the planned Marine Corps base.
The major buildup projects won't start until the Record of Decision is handed down by the Navy's top officials, and that's expected this summer.
An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 workers from off island will be needed for numerous projects related to the military buildup over several years.
Already, developers and construction companies are gearing up for those multi-million dollar contracts and subcontracts, and that includes obtaining additional workers and finding or building facilities to house them.
Core Tech International's application for its workforce living quarters -- the Royal Hawaiian Apartments in Tamuning -- is pending before the Land Use Commission, and it has two other sites it can use as barracks, said Joshua Tenorio, Core Tech's business development director.
Last year, Core Tech acquired the Royal Hawaiian Apartments and the vacant El Dorado apartment complex in Upper Tumon. The company can also convert its Tiyan facility, which it's currently leasing to the local government for the temporary John F. Kennedy High School, into a barracks.
"We're doing what we need to do in terms of upgrading our facilities and going through the regulatory process so that we're able to exercise our options if we're fortunate to be awarded one of those contracts," he said.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Big losses projected if H-2s work on buildup projects
Big losses projected if H-2s work on buildup projects
Posted: Feb 11, 2010 5:08 PM
Updated: Feb 11, 2010 5:08 PM
by Mindy Aguon
Guam - Vice-Speaker B.J. Cruz says Guam's economy stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if H-2 workers are allowed to be utilized for military buildup-related construction projects. Cruz has asked Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo to reconsider her position on allowing H-2 workers for buildup construction activities.
He told KUAM News, "I'm just asking that she reconsider the Abercrombie amendment, which is suggesting a 30% maximum of H-2 laborers, and if we reduce it to that amount then we'll have more money floating in the economy." He added, "If you're going to force it down our throat, then I want every penny that's absolutely possible to accrue to the local people."
Estimates in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement project that H-2 workers will spend about 20% of their money in the local economy, compared to 45% to be spent by workers hired locally. Cruz says if the H-2 workers spent at the same level as locally-hired workers, Guam's economy would benefit by approximately $368.5 million.
Posted: Feb 11, 2010 5:08 PM
Updated: Feb 11, 2010 5:08 PM
by Mindy Aguon
Guam - Vice-Speaker B.J. Cruz says Guam's economy stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if H-2 workers are allowed to be utilized for military buildup-related construction projects. Cruz has asked Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo to reconsider her position on allowing H-2 workers for buildup construction activities.
He told KUAM News, "I'm just asking that she reconsider the Abercrombie amendment, which is suggesting a 30% maximum of H-2 laborers, and if we reduce it to that amount then we'll have more money floating in the economy." He added, "If you're going to force it down our throat, then I want every penny that's absolutely possible to accrue to the local people."
Estimates in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement project that H-2 workers will spend about 20% of their money in the local economy, compared to 45% to be spent by workers hired locally. Cruz says if the H-2 workers spent at the same level as locally-hired workers, Guam's economy would benefit by approximately $368.5 million.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Connelley backs prorated labor fee
Connelley backs prorated labor fee
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:15
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick | Variety News Staff
LABOR director Maria Connelley said yesterday she fully supports Sen. Rory Respicio’s bill proposing to prorate the H2 worker fees based on the length of validity of their working visa.
“When I came on board about five and a half years ago we were prorating it and then about two years ago something came up and we got an opinion from the attorney general saying that we shouldn’t be prorating it,” said Connelley.
“The Guam Contractors Association and a lot of employers we are working with have been asking for the same thing, so that is certainly under consideration,” she added.
Connelley believes the prorating of the fees will address the employers’ concerns.
The current fee charged by the Guam Department of Labor is $1,091 per year regardless of the worker’s length of stay with the company.
The fee was amended in December with the passage of Public Law 30-64, which raises the alien registration fee by $91. The additional fee goes to the Department of Public Health and Social Services for recruitment of additional health sanitation specialists who will be tasked to inspect workers housing quarters for health and safety standards.
The $1,000 base fee goes to the Department of Labor’s manpower Development Fund.
Respicio said he will ensure that his bill does not trump the existing law.
Bill 313 maintains the yearly fee of $1,091 but prorates the fee to $84 per month if a worker is here for less than a year or a little over a year.
“I can understand if you’re an employer and you have to bring in so many H2 workers. I can relate to them. Paying $1,000 is quite an increase from the $200 in the past,” Connelley said.
The prorated fee would be tied to the workers visa "so it won't be complicated or cumbersome to implement,” Respicio said in an earlier interview. "I am doing this because it is only fair."
The senator noted that during the construction of a project, different phases require different types of workers. “You wouldn't hire a mason to be there the entire time," Respicio said.
The number of workers expected to come to Guam for projects related to the military buildup varies from 17,000 to 25,000.
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:15
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick | Variety News Staff
LABOR director Maria Connelley said yesterday she fully supports Sen. Rory Respicio’s bill proposing to prorate the H2 worker fees based on the length of validity of their working visa.
“When I came on board about five and a half years ago we were prorating it and then about two years ago something came up and we got an opinion from the attorney general saying that we shouldn’t be prorating it,” said Connelley.
“The Guam Contractors Association and a lot of employers we are working with have been asking for the same thing, so that is certainly under consideration,” she added.
Connelley believes the prorating of the fees will address the employers’ concerns.
The current fee charged by the Guam Department of Labor is $1,091 per year regardless of the worker’s length of stay with the company.
The fee was amended in December with the passage of Public Law 30-64, which raises the alien registration fee by $91. The additional fee goes to the Department of Public Health and Social Services for recruitment of additional health sanitation specialists who will be tasked to inspect workers housing quarters for health and safety standards.
The $1,000 base fee goes to the Department of Labor’s manpower Development Fund.
Respicio said he will ensure that his bill does not trump the existing law.
Bill 313 maintains the yearly fee of $1,091 but prorates the fee to $84 per month if a worker is here for less than a year or a little over a year.
“I can understand if you’re an employer and you have to bring in so many H2 workers. I can relate to them. Paying $1,000 is quite an increase from the $200 in the past,” Connelley said.
The prorated fee would be tied to the workers visa "so it won't be complicated or cumbersome to implement,” Respicio said in an earlier interview. "I am doing this because it is only fair."
The senator noted that during the construction of a project, different phases require different types of workers. “You wouldn't hire a mason to be there the entire time," Respicio said.
The number of workers expected to come to Guam for projects related to the military buildup varies from 17,000 to 25,000.
Monday, December 21, 2009
H2: No cause for concern
H2: No cause for concern
Monday, 21 December 2009 03:52 by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
DEIS: Contract workers not likely to cause a crime spike; migrants may
WITH more job opportunities expected in the wake of the military buildup on Guam, efforts are underway to recruit and train up to 5,000 workers from outlying islands. But at least, from prior experiences suggest that H2B workers would be responsible for little, if any, increase in crimes.
An assessment in the military’s draft impact statement claims a spike in crimes will come from an increase in migrants from the freely associated states.
The military blueprint for the enormous realignment plan further states there is no evidence that the transfer of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa will contribute to the crime spike, despite the indisputable record of rapes, fights and robberies that Okinawa residents have cited as one of the key reasons for insisting the military leave their prefecture.
According to the draft environmental impact statement, it is expected that a spike in the number of offenses and arrests would occur at the onset and for the duration of the construction component, especially considering that the overall social change at this time would be augmented by the relocation of the Marines to Guam.
Law abiding
H2 workers are subject to numerous employer regulations. In general, they appear to follow these rules, save money, and send it home. Any violations under legal jurisdiction could lead to their deportation and the loss of the opportunity to work on Guam.
The expected construction worker composition may also affect increase in crime, with H-2B workers having historically less of an impact than workers migrating from the outlying region.
In contrast, migration of workers from Micronesia, whether for direct construction work or to take new indirect jobs, have been associated with increased crime. Migrants from Chuuk, Palau, Pohnpei, Yap, Kosrae and the Marshall Islands, are disproportionately represented in Guam arrests, according to the most recent data.
Inquiries to the Guam Police Department, along with extensive research, failed to uncover quantitative crime data about Guam’s previous construction boom phases.
However, interviews with industry professionals that experienced Guam’s hotel construction boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s indicate that Guam did not experience significant increases in crime or social disorder.
Boom time crime
While the exact percentage of Guam’s population comprised of FAS residents for these years is not known, the numbers counted by the U.S. Census Bureau (2009) for 2008 suggests a percentage in the range of 11 percent to 15 percent. This compares with 33 percent of all arrestees on Guam for 2005 and 2006.
Notably, 2006 statistics show that arrests of migrants from the FSM were disproportionately high for serious crimes such as aggravated assault (44 percent), motor vehicle theft (43 percent) and murder (33 percent). However, actual numbers of the latter two crimes are low and therefore statistically less reliable (GPD 2008).
Arrests among the FSM community on Guam were disproportionately higher for lesser offenses such as assaults, vandalism, public drunkenness and liquor laws violations, including driving under the influence and disorderly conduct. Chuukese comprise 80 percent of indigent defendants currently in the court system.
Cultural conflicts
The possibility of ethnic bias in arrest patterns must be acknowledged in reference to the above data. Furthermore, cultural differences affect arrest rates as well.
Moreover, recent arrest data on Guam does not indicate an offenders’ type of employment, so it is not possible to say whether construction workers in particular are more crime-prone than other types of workers.
Construction booms, the military impact report states, in general cause a variety of social disruptions. As areas are affected by rapid population growth and social changes, law enforcement, it continues, become more bureaucratic, impersonal, reliant on recordkeeping, stringent, and professional.
Residents, preoccupied with social change and its consequences, may note a large increase in crime as a result of the population growth and regard newcomers to Guam as largely responsible for the crime. The study suggests residents are also more likely to report crimes.
These new migrants not only come from depressed economies, but also often live by different value systems that may manifest in behavior that is acceptable in their culture but not on Guam.
For example, while educational requirements are nominal in FSM, not attending school is defined as truancy on Guam.
Emergent issues
Micronesian gangs are also emerging as a problem, particularly among Chuukese and Chamorro youths engaging in fights and retaliation actions.
But, the draft impact statement emphasizes that migrants from the region coming to Guam may display a current propensity for higher crime rates could reflect cultural transitions to a more modern societal model and such behavior or statistics would not necessarily continue indefinitely.
Monday, 21 December 2009 03:52 by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
DEIS: Contract workers not likely to cause a crime spike; migrants may
WITH more job opportunities expected in the wake of the military buildup on Guam, efforts are underway to recruit and train up to 5,000 workers from outlying islands. But at least, from prior experiences suggest that H2B workers would be responsible for little, if any, increase in crimes.
An assessment in the military’s draft impact statement claims a spike in crimes will come from an increase in migrants from the freely associated states.
The military blueprint for the enormous realignment plan further states there is no evidence that the transfer of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa will contribute to the crime spike, despite the indisputable record of rapes, fights and robberies that Okinawa residents have cited as one of the key reasons for insisting the military leave their prefecture.
According to the draft environmental impact statement, it is expected that a spike in the number of offenses and arrests would occur at the onset and for the duration of the construction component, especially considering that the overall social change at this time would be augmented by the relocation of the Marines to Guam.
Law abiding
H2 workers are subject to numerous employer regulations. In general, they appear to follow these rules, save money, and send it home. Any violations under legal jurisdiction could lead to their deportation and the loss of the opportunity to work on Guam.
The expected construction worker composition may also affect increase in crime, with H-2B workers having historically less of an impact than workers migrating from the outlying region.
In contrast, migration of workers from Micronesia, whether for direct construction work or to take new indirect jobs, have been associated with increased crime. Migrants from Chuuk, Palau, Pohnpei, Yap, Kosrae and the Marshall Islands, are disproportionately represented in Guam arrests, according to the most recent data.
Inquiries to the Guam Police Department, along with extensive research, failed to uncover quantitative crime data about Guam’s previous construction boom phases.
However, interviews with industry professionals that experienced Guam’s hotel construction boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s indicate that Guam did not experience significant increases in crime or social disorder.
Boom time crime
While the exact percentage of Guam’s population comprised of FAS residents for these years is not known, the numbers counted by the U.S. Census Bureau (2009) for 2008 suggests a percentage in the range of 11 percent to 15 percent. This compares with 33 percent of all arrestees on Guam for 2005 and 2006.
Notably, 2006 statistics show that arrests of migrants from the FSM were disproportionately high for serious crimes such as aggravated assault (44 percent), motor vehicle theft (43 percent) and murder (33 percent). However, actual numbers of the latter two crimes are low and therefore statistically less reliable (GPD 2008).
Arrests among the FSM community on Guam were disproportionately higher for lesser offenses such as assaults, vandalism, public drunkenness and liquor laws violations, including driving under the influence and disorderly conduct. Chuukese comprise 80 percent of indigent defendants currently in the court system.
Cultural conflicts
The possibility of ethnic bias in arrest patterns must be acknowledged in reference to the above data. Furthermore, cultural differences affect arrest rates as well.
Moreover, recent arrest data on Guam does not indicate an offenders’ type of employment, so it is not possible to say whether construction workers in particular are more crime-prone than other types of workers.
Construction booms, the military impact report states, in general cause a variety of social disruptions. As areas are affected by rapid population growth and social changes, law enforcement, it continues, become more bureaucratic, impersonal, reliant on recordkeeping, stringent, and professional.
Residents, preoccupied with social change and its consequences, may note a large increase in crime as a result of the population growth and regard newcomers to Guam as largely responsible for the crime. The study suggests residents are also more likely to report crimes.
These new migrants not only come from depressed economies, but also often live by different value systems that may manifest in behavior that is acceptable in their culture but not on Guam.
For example, while educational requirements are nominal in FSM, not attending school is defined as truancy on Guam.
Emergent issues
Micronesian gangs are also emerging as a problem, particularly among Chuukese and Chamorro youths engaging in fights and retaliation actions.
But, the draft impact statement emphasizes that migrants from the region coming to Guam may display a current propensity for higher crime rates could reflect cultural transitions to a more modern societal model and such behavior or statistics would not necessarily continue indefinitely.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
RP contractors eye part of $15-B Guam project
RP contractors eye part of $15-B Guam project
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
November 25, 2009, 5:04pm
Filipino contractors are now vying to partake in the $15 billion U.S. military build-up in Guam, but are urged to undertake more training for workers to ensure there is enough manpower pool for the booming domestic construction industry.
This was revealed at a business forum Wednesday on “Opportunities in Guam for the Philippine Construction Industry” organized by the Philippine Constructors Association Inc. and the Bureau of Export Trade Promotion of the Department of Trade and Industry where Guam government officials have indicated the preference for Filipino skilled workers.
Guam Senator Judith P. Guthertz,, chairperson on Guam military build-up an homeland security, said Guam could hire 15,000 Filipino workers starting 2101 until 2014 when the build-up is supposed to be completed.
In expressing preference for Filipino workers, Guthertz traced the history of Guam and the Philippines revealing that Guam used to be a province of the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. At least 30 percent of Guam’s population is of Filipino ancestry and that Filipinos were in the forefront in the reconstruction of Guam after the World War II.
“We just don’t have enough manpower for massive military build-up,” Guthertz said.
She said the H2 Visa, which restricts the entry of foreign skilled workers, has been lifted by the U.S. government for Guam paving the way for the entry of foreign workers.
Guthertz, an alumna of the University of the Philippines, also doubted the projected 6,000 workers would really possible because these workers have settled already in Hawaii only to uproot their families to work in Guam.
The other sources of manpower for the Guam build-up would come from other neighboring islands in the Pacific but would not still suffice the huge requirement.
Guthertz said that for every $1 billion investments for infrastructure projects, this requires 5,000 workers.
The projected 15,000 jobs that would be created until 2014 do not yet include the projects to be funded by the Japanese government, which agreed to fund the relocation facilities for the U.S. navy that would be transferred from the U.S. naval base in Okinawa.
There would be over 8,600 US marines that would be relocated to Guam plus the US navy for an estimated 28 percent increase in Guam’s 173,000 population.
The military build-up would require new road networks, water and sewerage, power, housing, hospitals and other infrastructure. There will also be build-up off base.
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
November 25, 2009, 5:04pm
Filipino contractors are now vying to partake in the $15 billion U.S. military build-up in Guam, but are urged to undertake more training for workers to ensure there is enough manpower pool for the booming domestic construction industry.
This was revealed at a business forum Wednesday on “Opportunities in Guam for the Philippine Construction Industry” organized by the Philippine Constructors Association Inc. and the Bureau of Export Trade Promotion of the Department of Trade and Industry where Guam government officials have indicated the preference for Filipino skilled workers.
Guam Senator Judith P. Guthertz,, chairperson on Guam military build-up an homeland security, said Guam could hire 15,000 Filipino workers starting 2101 until 2014 when the build-up is supposed to be completed.
In expressing preference for Filipino workers, Guthertz traced the history of Guam and the Philippines revealing that Guam used to be a province of the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. At least 30 percent of Guam’s population is of Filipino ancestry and that Filipinos were in the forefront in the reconstruction of Guam after the World War II.
“We just don’t have enough manpower for massive military build-up,” Guthertz said.
She said the H2 Visa, which restricts the entry of foreign skilled workers, has been lifted by the U.S. government for Guam paving the way for the entry of foreign workers.
Guthertz, an alumna of the University of the Philippines, also doubted the projected 6,000 workers would really possible because these workers have settled already in Hawaii only to uproot their families to work in Guam.
The other sources of manpower for the Guam build-up would come from other neighboring islands in the Pacific but would not still suffice the huge requirement.
Guthertz said that for every $1 billion investments for infrastructure projects, this requires 5,000 workers.
The projected 15,000 jobs that would be created until 2014 do not yet include the projects to be funded by the Japanese government, which agreed to fund the relocation facilities for the U.S. navy that would be transferred from the U.S. naval base in Okinawa.
There would be over 8,600 US marines that would be relocated to Guam plus the US navy for an estimated 28 percent increase in Guam’s 173,000 population.
The military build-up would require new road networks, water and sewerage, power, housing, hospitals and other infrastructure. There will also be build-up off base.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Martinez: Think of Guam’s labor state after the buildup
Martinez: Think of Guam’s labor state after the buildup
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 01:53
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick and Romeo Carlos |
Variety News Staff
GUAM needs to come up with a study to determine the island’s future employment landscape after the military buildup is done, Guam Contractors Association president James Martinez said yesterday.
And based on that study, Martinez said, the education system must develop pertinent curriculum for the future workforce.
“We need to know what to train for,” the GCA president said. “Construction is easy, but we need to know about other jobs like doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers.”
The Trades Academy created by GCA is working to fill the approximately 8,000 sustainable positions in construction that will still be available after the initial construction boom associated with the military buildup.
While convinced that H2 workers should be the last resort, Martinez suggested that the training of local residents must be calibrated.
“You don't want to train 20,000 local residents for these construction positions, because what happens after it is done,” said Martinez. “There is such a thing as training too many people for one job.”
“The H-2 workers will come in and fill a temporary need, and when they leave we’re left with a higher trained workforce,” said Martinez.
Special interest
Senator Matt Rector, the labor advocate in the legislature, is displeased with Martinez’s argument.
“That is precisely the attitude that I have been trying to make people understand,” Rector said. “These special interests and large contractors see hundreds of millions of dollars on the table and they are remiss to share that with men and women on whose backs they are planning to earn that.”
The Democratic senator said the entire process of hiring foreign laborers on Guam should be reviewed before “…this whole thing takes off and is unstoppable.”
“We have heard that there are anywhere from five to six thousands of foreign workers on island right now, yet the official numbers would have the public believe that figure is less than 2,000. There is clearly something wrong with this picture,” Rector said.
Job preferences
But Martinez doubts that Guam has 20,000 residents who want to do construction. This is why Guam will have to look to the other islands in the CNMI, FSM, and the U.S., he added.
“Those workers might work like H2s and when the job is done they might go back home, or they might stay, but there will have to be lay off,” Martinez said.
“If we were planning to train 20,000 people, we would have started that 10 years ago. If only 8,000 workers are needed after the buildup, then what do we do with the other 12,000?” he asked.
“Training too many people will be detrimental to the community,” Martinez continued.
The Government Accountability Office study said the military will need 1,600 positions on base. “They are already cannibalizing local engineers for hotels and architecture firms,” said Martinez. “We need to develop a cadre of professionals to make up for that.”
“That is why we created GCA Trades Academy to upgrade skills and the H-2s will work to supplement, because at the end we will be left with a higher skilled and trained workforce,” said Martinez.
Resistance to fee
Rector, meanwhile, recalled that Martinez earlier said publicly that he thinks the current fee charged to companies for H2 workers is way too much.
“Though I introduced legislation that would have raised that fee considerably to protect jobs for our residents, it was also to ensure that the people of Guam who would be shortchanged on employment opportunities would not end up being stuck with having to shoulder the cost of taking care of workers cheated out of their earnings and stuck on Guam,” Rector said.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 01:53
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick and Romeo Carlos |
Variety News Staff
GUAM needs to come up with a study to determine the island’s future employment landscape after the military buildup is done, Guam Contractors Association president James Martinez said yesterday.
And based on that study, Martinez said, the education system must develop pertinent curriculum for the future workforce.
“We need to know what to train for,” the GCA president said. “Construction is easy, but we need to know about other jobs like doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers.”
The Trades Academy created by GCA is working to fill the approximately 8,000 sustainable positions in construction that will still be available after the initial construction boom associated with the military buildup.
While convinced that H2 workers should be the last resort, Martinez suggested that the training of local residents must be calibrated.
“You don't want to train 20,000 local residents for these construction positions, because what happens after it is done,” said Martinez. “There is such a thing as training too many people for one job.”
“The H-2 workers will come in and fill a temporary need, and when they leave we’re left with a higher trained workforce,” said Martinez.
Special interest
Senator Matt Rector, the labor advocate in the legislature, is displeased with Martinez’s argument.
“That is precisely the attitude that I have been trying to make people understand,” Rector said. “These special interests and large contractors see hundreds of millions of dollars on the table and they are remiss to share that with men and women on whose backs they are planning to earn that.”
The Democratic senator said the entire process of hiring foreign laborers on Guam should be reviewed before “…this whole thing takes off and is unstoppable.”
“We have heard that there are anywhere from five to six thousands of foreign workers on island right now, yet the official numbers would have the public believe that figure is less than 2,000. There is clearly something wrong with this picture,” Rector said.
Job preferences
But Martinez doubts that Guam has 20,000 residents who want to do construction. This is why Guam will have to look to the other islands in the CNMI, FSM, and the U.S., he added.
“Those workers might work like H2s and when the job is done they might go back home, or they might stay, but there will have to be lay off,” Martinez said.
“If we were planning to train 20,000 people, we would have started that 10 years ago. If only 8,000 workers are needed after the buildup, then what do we do with the other 12,000?” he asked.
“Training too many people will be detrimental to the community,” Martinez continued.
The Government Accountability Office study said the military will need 1,600 positions on base. “They are already cannibalizing local engineers for hotels and architecture firms,” said Martinez. “We need to develop a cadre of professionals to make up for that.”
“That is why we created GCA Trades Academy to upgrade skills and the H-2s will work to supplement, because at the end we will be left with a higher skilled and trained workforce,” said Martinez.
Resistance to fee
Rector, meanwhile, recalled that Martinez earlier said publicly that he thinks the current fee charged to companies for H2 workers is way too much.
“Though I introduced legislation that would have raised that fee considerably to protect jobs for our residents, it was also to ensure that the people of Guam who would be shortchanged on employment opportunities would not end up being stuck with having to shoulder the cost of taking care of workers cheated out of their earnings and stuck on Guam,” Rector said.
Monday, November 16, 2009
H2 workers vs locals
H2 workers vs locals
Monday, 16 November 2009 04:39
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick | Variety News Staff
Full local workforce development nixed by GCA
WHILE the local labor sector pushes for the development of a resident workforce to meet the demand of the impending multibillion dollar military buildup, the president of the Guam Contractors Association expressed reluctance to prioritize such initiative.
As the University of Guam-sponsored Guam Community and Economic Development Forum wrapped on Friday, a startling comment by GCA president James Martinez sent a small murmur through the crowd attending the forum whose theme was a discussion of ways to create a sustainable future for Guam and island residents.
During the workforce development and employment needs panel, a debate broke out over prioritizing the use of H2 workers over the full-development and training of local workers.
While director of Guam Department of Labor Maria Connelley stressed the need to train and hire local workers for positions related to the buildup especially construction, Martinez said overtraining local people for the temporary construction boom would result in mass lay-offs when the projects are completed. “That is exactly what H-2 workers are for,” said Martinez.
First priority
But Connelley stressed that recruiting H-2s is the last resort. The labor department head reaffirmed the proper order in prioritizing filling thousands of jobs expected to be created by the Guam military realignment. “We will first hire locally, then people from the Federated States of Micronesia, then the U.S., and then H2s,” she reiterated.
Carl Peterson, chairman of the Chamber Education/Workforce Development Committee for the Guam Chamber of Commerce, urged full training and development of Guam workers.
He said his organization wants to see everyone on Guam raise their standard of living with this buildup. “We want everyone to take that initiative,” said Peterson. “We should be focusing on education so people can improve their goals.”
Project completed
Instead of laying off workers when the military build work is completed, Peterson said employers should instead focus on the permanent work that will be created by the largest such military realignment in the history of the U.S.
Retaining employees should be important, Peterson pointed out, because the military has stated they expect to create more than 1,600 permanent jobs on base, adding, “With the feds coming off base to pull your workers on to base, we need to upgrade and educate our current workforce and young people as young as middle school,” he said.
Hard to plan
Martinez said Guam needs a comprehensive study to establish a plan to know the employment needs of Guam.
However, Connelley said that would be hard to do, considering the clear lack of information provided by the Department of Defense, as recently cited in a Government Accountability Office report.
Guam does not have valid data upon which to draw effective conclusions, Connelley said, further noting for forum participants the lack of viable data also makes it difficult to pursue desperately needed grants.
Rising costs
Peterson said that island wages should increase due to a lack of workers in a range of industries as employees move from one sector to another. He said the inflationary impact would be felt down the line, but tempered his projection by adding that everything would level out eventually.
Mary Torre, president of Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association, said most of the concerns for her group’s members had to do with people moving into different jobs. But, she said, they are used to change because tourism is an industry that is in constant flux.
Monday, 16 November 2009 04:39
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick | Variety News Staff
Full local workforce development nixed by GCA
WHILE the local labor sector pushes for the development of a resident workforce to meet the demand of the impending multibillion dollar military buildup, the president of the Guam Contractors Association expressed reluctance to prioritize such initiative.
As the University of Guam-sponsored Guam Community and Economic Development Forum wrapped on Friday, a startling comment by GCA president James Martinez sent a small murmur through the crowd attending the forum whose theme was a discussion of ways to create a sustainable future for Guam and island residents.
During the workforce development and employment needs panel, a debate broke out over prioritizing the use of H2 workers over the full-development and training of local workers.
While director of Guam Department of Labor Maria Connelley stressed the need to train and hire local workers for positions related to the buildup especially construction, Martinez said overtraining local people for the temporary construction boom would result in mass lay-offs when the projects are completed. “That is exactly what H-2 workers are for,” said Martinez.
First priority
But Connelley stressed that recruiting H-2s is the last resort. The labor department head reaffirmed the proper order in prioritizing filling thousands of jobs expected to be created by the Guam military realignment. “We will first hire locally, then people from the Federated States of Micronesia, then the U.S., and then H2s,” she reiterated.
Carl Peterson, chairman of the Chamber Education/Workforce Development Committee for the Guam Chamber of Commerce, urged full training and development of Guam workers.
He said his organization wants to see everyone on Guam raise their standard of living with this buildup. “We want everyone to take that initiative,” said Peterson. “We should be focusing on education so people can improve their goals.”
Project completed
Instead of laying off workers when the military build work is completed, Peterson said employers should instead focus on the permanent work that will be created by the largest such military realignment in the history of the U.S.
Retaining employees should be important, Peterson pointed out, because the military has stated they expect to create more than 1,600 permanent jobs on base, adding, “With the feds coming off base to pull your workers on to base, we need to upgrade and educate our current workforce and young people as young as middle school,” he said.
Hard to plan
Martinez said Guam needs a comprehensive study to establish a plan to know the employment needs of Guam.
However, Connelley said that would be hard to do, considering the clear lack of information provided by the Department of Defense, as recently cited in a Government Accountability Office report.
Guam does not have valid data upon which to draw effective conclusions, Connelley said, further noting for forum participants the lack of viable data also makes it difficult to pursue desperately needed grants.
Rising costs
Peterson said that island wages should increase due to a lack of workers in a range of industries as employees move from one sector to another. He said the inflationary impact would be felt down the line, but tempered his projection by adding that everything would level out eventually.
Mary Torre, president of Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association, said most of the concerns for her group’s members had to do with people moving into different jobs. But, she said, they are used to change because tourism is an industry that is in constant flux.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)