By Ben Blaschke
More than 50 construction workers brought to Saipan by contractor MCC International to help build Imperial Pacific Resort staged a protest on Friday claiming they hadn’t been paid and had been lied to about their immigration status.
As reported by Marianas Variety, the workers told Secretary of Labor Edith Deleon Guerrero that they hadn’t been paid for three months, having previously paid between US$3,000 and US$5,000 for the opportunity to work on site.
“We need our money back. Their agents lied to us,” the employees reportedly told an interpreter. “They told us we would work here legally but we just found out we’re not. We hold travel visa only. Now we don’t have money to buy ticket and food.”
Congressman Ed Probst said that multiple complaints about the use of illegal workers by MCC International and worker safety had been ignored by the Commonwealth Casino Commission, the regulatory body for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
In a statement, Imperial Pacific International denied any involvement in the hiring of illegal workers.
“Imperial Pacific International is strongly reiterating that it does not condone the hiring and or employment of individuals by illegal means,” it said on Friday.
“Imperial Pacific International is emphatic in its request to all of its contractors and subcontractors to follow all local and federal labor and immigration laws and regulations in the conduct of its business, including and in particular, the hiring of construction workers.
“Imperial Pacific International also implores all of its contractors and subcontractors to faithfully follow and fulfill its contractual commitments and obligations to its workers and Imperial Pacific International, and resolve all labor issues appropriately.
“Imperial Pacific International at the same time is issuing this statement to further clarify that the peaceful gathering of MCC International workers has to do with MCC International and does not involve Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC., and that the concerns raised by the workers are now being addressed accordingly.”
