Minimum-Wage Hike May Reach to Samoa

[Freddie Stubbs]

Saturday, January 13, 2007; Page A02


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), dogged by Republican charges of a double standard, said yesterday that American Samoa may join the Northern Mariana Islands as U.S. territories that would have to comply with a higher federal minimum wage.

Under the minimum-wage increase approved by the House this week, employers on the Northern Marianas would for the first time have to pay their workers the minimum wage, which would rise from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. For years, Republicans -- with the help of convicted lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff -- have fended off efforts to bring the islands under federal labor laws.

The bill would leave American Samoa as the only territory not covered by the $7.25 rate, and because Samoa is represented by a Democrat, Del. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, Republicans cried foul.

Faleomavaega's campaign coffers have been well stocked by the tuna industry that dominates his island economy, but Republicans picked up on another issue: StarKist owns one of the largest canneries on the island, and Del Monte Foods, StarKist's parent company, is based in San Francisco, which Pelosi represents.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201966.html

[Pab Sungenis]

1. This is the right thing to do.

Whether we're doing it for the right reasons or not. Even if it is a political victory for the Republicans, it's a victory for the Samoan workers.

[Toots]

5. Maybe I didn't read it correctly but I read the opposite of what you think

I read that American Somoa will not be forced to pay minimum wage but the Mariannas would. That is why the Republicans are pissed off. They are saying it is because of lobbying money that Somoa is being excluded. Republicans fought for years to have the Mariannas excluded because of just such kickbacks as they are accusing the Democrats of..

[rodeodance]

7. I sure Pelosi is on the Up and Up on this.

[aquart]

9. How does American Samoa feel about this?

It's very nice of us to extend our laws over them since we control them, but I haven't heard from them yet. What will happen if we do it? Is that a good result?

[Pab Sungenis]

10. You did read it wrong.

They're currently exempted, and were going to be exempted under the new bill, but that's going to be corrected in conference. Under the final product, they'll most likely be required to comply with the new minimum.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

2. Well good.

I think the entire planet needs a raise in the minimum raise. Workers of the world unite!

[DUgosh]

3. Think about it

Nancy is brillant. The Republicans who have benefitted from the huge campaign pay offs from Del Monte are now the ones asking for equality for workers. Too funny.

[PSPS]

4. Notice how the article never mentions what the wage in Samoa is: $3.26

Minimum wage for tuna canners is $3.26.

Other "special" minimum wages in AS, from http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/fedreg/final/2003020096.htm

(a) Government Employees--$2.77
(b) Fish Canning and Processing--$3.26
(c) Petroleum Marketing--$3.85
(d) Shipping and Transportation:
- (1) Classification A--$4.09
- (2) Classification B--$3.92
- (3) Classification C--$3.88
(e) Construction--$3.60
(f) Retailing, Wholesaling, and Warehousing--$3.10
(g) Bottling, Brewing, and Dairy Products--$3.19
(h) Printing--$3.50
(i) Publishing--$3.63
(j) Finance and Insurance--$3.99
(k) Ship Maintenance--$3.34
(l) Hotel--$2.86
(m) Tour and Travel Services--$3.31
(n) Private Hospitals and Educational Institutions--$3.33
(o) Garment Manufacturing--$2.68
(p) Miscellaneous Activities--$2.57

Some say a higher wage isn't necessary because "the cost of living is lower." If you want to adopt that standard, we should impose a tariff on the products to make up the difference in labor rates. Why? Because you're seeing the results of doing otherwise: we don't make anything domestically anymore. Everything that involves manual labor will be sent to cheap offshore locations, and the standard of living here will go down to that of the country with the cheapest labor.

[jody]

6. Thanks for the post.

:hi:

[hedgehog]

12. The minimum wage should apply across the board, no exceptions or special cases.

That includes farm workers and restaurant workers.

[rodeodance]

8. here she says all will be included.

"I have asked the Education and Labor Committee, as they go forward with the legislation, to make sure that all of the territories have to comply with U.S. law on the minimum wage," Pelosi announced yesterday.

Pelosi aides said the committee would be asked to work toward having all territories use the same wage standard.


-- Jonathan Weisman

[ellisonz]

11. We should throw Abramoff back in their faces...again.

The GOP appears to have succumbed to collective amnesia.

[Omaha Steve]

13. Democrats Pledge to Extend Minimum Wage

http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?news_id=ap-d8mkjeso0&



Democrats Pledge to Extend Minimum Wage

Saturday January 13, 2:47 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fending off charges of favoritism, House Democrats say a just-passed minimum wage bill will be changed to cover all U.S. territories — including American Samoa — before it reaches President Bush's desk.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters she has instructed the House Education and Labor Committee to help get the bill changed to "make sure that all of the territories have to comply with the U.S. law on minimum wage."

Her remark Friday followed accusations from Republicans a day earlier that American Samoa, which is not now covered by the $5.15 an hour federal minimum wage, was not included in the law raising the federal pay floor to $7.25 an hour because StarKist has a large cannery in the island chain. StarKist is owned by Del Monte Foods Co., which has its headquarters in San Francisco, Pelosi's district.

"Something is indeed fishy when the federal minimum wage is good for all Americans as espoused by the Democrat majority, yet we exempt a small, in many terms economically struggling island," Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told colleagues on the House floor last week.

FULL story at link.

[BayCityProgressive]

14. Good

I am glad attention was brought to this so that it can be corrected.

[mdmc]

15. kick

r

[bbinacan]

16. IMHO

it shouldn't have gotten this far. It should have been addressed at the get go.

[BayCityProgressive]

17. I agree.

Someone was trying to give a hand out.