(Press Release) — House Health and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Tina Sablan introduced legislation Tuesday afternoon that seeks to raise the minimum wage by $0.55 increments within 120 days of its passage, and every year thereafter until the minimum wage is $10 per hour.
The incremental increase is similar to the approach taken with the application of the federal Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which recognized the need to raise the minimum wage to fairer, more livable, and more competitive levels, while also taking into account uncertain economic conditions and the need of local employers to have time to adjust.
“This bill is about encouraging work, improving the lives of the CNMI's working families, strengthening workers' legal rights and holding cheating employers accountable, and ensuring that wages in the CNMI are fair, decent, and competitive,” Sablan said.
Work on the legislation began in 2021, when Sablan reviewed workforce and wage data available for the CNMI, including prevailing wage studies and GAO reports, surveyed wage laws in other states and territories; consulted with labor lawyers and advocates, and considered the enforcement challenges and recommendations from workers and both federal and local labor officials.
“According to the 2021 prevailing wage study, the median hourly wage in the CNMI is $9.97. This means that half of the CNMI's workers are already earning $9.97 per hour or more. A GAO report on workforce trends in the Marianas released last...
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