With wages the way they are in China, the title of this article should be "With DeLay Gone, PINK SLIPS for Island Factory Workers"

Bummer

Does this law also offer legal protections that other US workers are guaranteed? What about the workers' living conditions? Will their squalid shacks get plumbing? Will the barbed wire fences be taken down? In other words, will the workers be afforded human rights? Will the "Made in USA" label on clothing by the Gap, Liz Claiborne, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and others actually mean something? i am glad Rep Miller finally has the chance to fix the labor problems there, and i am grateful that the greedy pigs are no longer influential on this issue.

OK, let me see if I can't shed some light on some of these Northern Marianas Islands misconceptions.

First, let’s try and put this "Made in the USA" label thing to rest once and for all. Look, I live on the island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas Islands and for as long as I've lived here (a little over 7 years) I've never seen a label that blatantly said "Made in the USA". Instead what you'd see is a label that says "Made in the Northern Marianas Islands (USA)" or some variation of that. So whether that upsets you or not, whatever (if you don't believe me go to your nearest GAP and check a few labels, its there you'll see), but that's what it says and that is in fact what we are, we are the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and we ARE American! So much so that many people from our little island community have heeded Uncle Sam's call and committed themselves to defending our country in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and some have even given their lives in that endeavor. You think that's not a sacrifice for a small community such as this? Think again!

And another thing, the headline of this story is completely misguided. Garment industry workers in Saipan will NEVER see a cent from this proposed minimum wage because faster than you can say "Ni Hao" they will pack up and be off to China or Vietnam or the like. For the record, 99% of these workers that Rep. Miller seems so dearly concerned about are Chinese nationals anyways and the remaining 1% are Filipino, Bangladeshi or Thai. It just strikes me as strange that the “workers in foreign-owned sweatshops in the CNMI" that Rep. Miller has been fighting so vehemently for will now be shipped back to their home countries where they will enjoy wages of 50 cents an hour instead of the current CNMI wage of $3.05. I think what he's really concerned with is the more powerful mainland textile industry lobby.

cont. from above...

To be fair to Rep. Miller though, I'm sure that when he visited the CNMI and when 20/20 did their expose on the island that there were indeed many abuses going on in the garment factories. The problem seems to be that people refuse to see the new evidence, here we are 10 years later and things have changed! I had the opportunity to talk with an OSHA official about 5 years ago who said that Saipan had greatly improved the working conditions at the factories and that it was headed towards becoming a model for other Pacific island areas (read-American Samoa, who incidentally will not be forced to raise their min. wage?? Could that be because they didn’t antagonize the Democrats by hiring Jack Abramoff to lobby for them?)

What we’re generally concerned about here is not the wage increase itself, most of us here realize the need to raise it, but we worry that it will be too much too fast. The wage hike will mean the immediate withdrawal of the garment industry, which directly contributed close to $20 million dollars to our local government, (that’s over 10% of our annual budget) not to mention the 10,000 workers (about 12% of our population) who contribute, many of whom may be left stranded in the factories rush to get out. Instead what will be left will be an American protectorate with little self sustaining income and more reliance on US handouts, a.k.a YOUR tax dollars because WE don't pay any federal taxes! And that’s simply because then the US would be practicing taxation without representation (gee when did we last hear that?...1776 maybe?) Because no, we have NO representation in the US congress, just in case you were unclear. So we have no way to change policies that may be detrimental to us, except to hire lobbyists, and you can see how well that turned out…

In the end, if this minimum wage bill is signed by the President will it hurt businesses and the economy in general here, yes, it most certainly will and in a very profound way. Will the CNMI be able to survive this crisis, I don't know but I sincerely hope with all my heart that it will because these islands are some of the most beautiful places under the American umbrella and they have stolen my heart and gotten into my blood and I truly want the best for the Northern Marianas Islands and her amazingly resilient people!

Oh and if Saipan sounds just way to foreign and insignificant for you, then check your WWII history books and you might be amazed at the stories of just how important this island was to the US at one time, and how strategic it may yet prove to be.

Gee, ABC news forgot to mention that American Samoa was exempted from the minimum wage increase by the democrats in the House. Starkist has a large processing facility in American Samoa and would have been hurt by the increase. Starkist's corporate parent has its headquarters in San Francisco, the congressional district of the new speaker of the House, Nacy Pelosi.

Gee ChrisN, you don't say???

Must be coincidence, pure and simple.

Please keep this news under-wraps, elsewise you will be condemned as a crazy-wacko-warmonger-hatemonger-homophobic-neocon.

Please be wary...

when did min wage go in avat. when can i see the change?

Aren't those Republicans evil. No mention of the evil Hitler, the tuna queen. Imagine that.

Half truths and distortions, what do you expect we're with the Democrats.

Soon to be broke.

Bill; Get over it. There's more to life than just Republican or Democrat! I can't imagine what it's like to only live w/a possibility of only those 2 viewpoints. What a small box you must live in.

Incredible heading and lead! What a way to manipulate the news. Rhonda Schwartz needs a basic course in economics. Or one in ethics? The special way the islands were treated had to do with keeping them competitive. It has been done in any territory including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands at their request. Higher minimum wage for the Marianas? There goes apparel manufacturing to China and India, that have neither USA wages nor the Made in the Island Marianas (USA) label. Hilfiger no longer produces in the Islands, others would go.

Considering the similarities, don't you think it would have been worth MENTIONING that at the same time they were including this US possession, they were excluding American Samoa from the same law because Starkist Tuna, from Pelosi's district, didn't want to pay the new minimum? And shouldn't her name appear along side Abramhoff and Delay? Don't they care about Samoans?

Headlines should have read: WITH PELOSI IN: PINKSLIPS are also in.

I'm glad to see everyone hasn't forgotten the little deal that American Somoa got thanks to the multimillionaire Nancy Pelosi.

When she gets kicked out on her nicely coiffed rear, does that mean Somoa loses it's exemption?

Poor Lana ... the truth is told and she can't handle it ...she's the one with her head in a box ...