Tauese to Daewoosa: Shape up or be shut down

 Governor Tauese Sunia toured the Daewoosa Samoa garment factory yesterday morning and then met with company officials and Vietnamese government officials who have been visiting for almost two weeks.

 The governor was accompanied by his legal counsel Henry Kappel and special assistant Taesaliali’i F. Lutu.

 The visiting Vietnamese delegation represent Tourism Company 12, the government-owned entity that recruited and contracted with workers for Daewoosa Samoa.

 Also joining the Governor and the delegation were Vietnamese workers attorney Christa Lin with an associate, and reporters from the two local newspapers.

 Although the Vietnamese workers were not working, they were very visible on the tour, moving freely about the compound.

 The Samoan workers were at work in the company’s packing, ironing and sewing divisions. The number of Samoan workers has increased due to the need to get a shipment out yesterday. Many of the new Samoan workers were on the sewing machines when the visiting group arrived.

 This is Tauese’s third visit to the factory. The first two happened last year when allegations of worker mistreatment surfaced.

 After the tour, the group moved to the side of the now empty swimming pool for a two-hour meeting during which Tauese voiced his concerns.

 Tauese said that during last year’s visit he was just a bystander in the attempt to resolve differences between the company and its Vietnamese workers over various grievances such as food, curfew hours, and wages.

 But the fight almost two weeks ago changed everything for the Governor who noted that the incident paints a bad picture of American Samoa.

 "This is where the buck stops ? with me," the Governor said, explaining that these matters will now have to be resolved as they may have gone too far.

 He observed that things would greatly improve if the troubled relationship between the company and its Asian work force is resolved.

 Tauese said that at this point, the government is prepared to intervene in the court and allow those Asian workers who want to return home, "to return home".

 Tauese told Daewoosa owner-president Kil-Soo Lee that he is responsible for returning the workers home, if they want to return home.

 Tauese advised Mr. Lee that he is prepared to revoke the company’s "privilege" to operate in American Samoa if these matters are not resolved.

 Tauese told Miss Mai, the head of the visiting delegation, and Mr. Lee that Asian workers should be made aware that they are visitors in the Territory.

 He observed that the workers curfew has been lifted but it has gotten out of hand. However, the Governor said that these workers should not be held against their will and if they don’t want to work then they should be returned to their homeland.

 But the matter pertaining to wages and other contractual agreements between Tourism Company 12 and Daewoosa Samoa is a civil matter.

 "The fact is, these matters have spilled over to include the welfare of my Samoan workers," Tauese said, and he as Governor can no longer sit back and not issue any corrective measures.

 Tauese said what occurred on Tuesday is not part of the discussion but was quick to point out that it is a "national and international problem that needs a permanent solution." He urged Mr. Lee to pay his workers as soon as possible, as the primary issue affecting the company’s relationship with its Vietnamese workers is continued non-payment of wages.

 "I don’t want American Samoa’s name dragged through the political forums in Washington DC or in the international arena," the Governor reiterated.

 The group was also informed of the bad treatment of garment workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that caught U.S. attention prompting threats from some members of Congress to pull federal funding for CNMI.

 Tauese made it clear to Mr. Lee that American Samoa will not jeopardize its federal funding because of the ill-treatment of workers at his Tafuna factory.

 The Governor revealed that he has already been contacted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, DC with anxious inquiries as to Vietnamese workers being held in American Samoa against their will.

 "I’m saying all of this because the impact of this problem is serious and I can’t just sit still and do nothing about it," the Governor explained.

 The Governor also raised the issue of immigration bonds and said that this requirement has been relaxed in the past, which is the case with Daewoosa, and he is prepared to issue an Executive Order to prevent the acceptance of any more "surety bonds". The EO would require a cash deposit.

 He said this is assurance for the government for the return of foreign workers to their homeland without too much later conflict with the workers employer, such as is the case before them.

 "This incident has opened my eyes to new businesses opening here and our relaxing the immigration bond requirement for them," the Governor said, "and now we are paying for the consequences."

 Tauese asked Ms. Mai to relay to Vietnamese workers that under local laws, persons coming in must reside with their sponsor, but now they are allowed to go out but is creating problems "which is a community concern".

 Tauese also made known that he has received reports that workers are moonlighting, and probably even illegal jobs "which is unacceptable. But if they are not paid, the problem cuts both ways".

 About the workers roaming the streets, Tauese told Ms. Mai and Mr. Lee that it is to be made clear to the workers that they are not to walk around the street or roaming the streets.

 "I want you and your company to succeed and to be fair to your Asian workers, because it impacts our community," Tauese told Mr. Lee.

 To Ms. Mai, Tauese said the Vietnamese workers should be informed that they were allowed to enter the territory to do as they wish, as the privilege accorded to them to enter was through Daewoosa to work but not doing other things.

 "If wages are resolved, I strongly advise that they return to work or return them home," said the governor. "This is not a route to refugees to the U.S.".

 Workers attorney Christa Lin however showed serious concerns of the safety of Vietnamese workers if they return to work and Lee said that they need to follow company policies and that security will increase.

 Tauese said he will talk to the Samoan workers, not only as the governor but as a father and traditional leader to impose the need for better working relationship.

 The Samoan workers told the Samoa News that they and their Vietnamese co-workers have always worked well together ? it is the Vietnamese workers lawyers who are making things worse.

 They say that the Samoans never started the melee and did nothing against the woman that was injured, "and now we are being blamed on this issue that only the court will prove us right."

 At the meeting’s end, only the Governor, Lutu, Christa and her associate, along with the two reporters, were guests for a delicious lunch served by the company.
 
 

Daewoosa agrees to paying for workers return home

 The bad news is that the company and its Vietnamese workers have stalemated on the issue of non-payment of back wages and both sides are resigned to going to trial over this and other issues next month.

 (Editor’s Note: see Monday’s issue for more details on the two-day court hearing. Additionally, see the "Letters to the Editor" section on page four for a severe criticism of Governor Tauese’s blunt remarks about the Vietnamese workers. The remarks are included in this story.)

 In the meantime earlier yesterday, out at the Tafuna compound, Daewoosa owner-president Kil-Soo Lee promised Governor Tauese Sunia after his morning tour of the factory grounds that the company is prepared to pay for the return home of its Vietnamese workers.

 However, Mr. Lee told the Governor, the company needs time to complete its orders to improve its cash-flow to cover expenses such as this.

 Prior to this exchange, Mr. Lee was confronted by Miss Mai, the head of the visiting delegation from Tourism Company 12, the Vietnam government-owned entity that recruited and contracted out the workers to Daewoosa.

 The delegation, among others, accompanied the Governor on his tour of the garment factory.

 Miss Mai demanded to know what the company is going to do about the return air fares for the Vietnamese workers.

 Mr. Lee replied that the Vietnamese government has the return tickets, but Miss Mai countered that the workers paid for a one-way ticket to American Samoa and that Daewoosa is responsible for paying for the return ticket.

 The exchange continued until Tauese interrupted it to ask Mr. Lee about the return of the workers if the High Court ruled that Daewoosa must pay for the air fares.

 The Governor also reminded the group that Daewoosa had posted a surety bond to ensure the workers eventual return home. Because of this, Daewoosa is responsible for the return air fares.

 Mr. Lee, however, insisted that Tourism Company 12, of which Miss Mai is a vice-director, has the return tickets. Then he relented and admitted that Daewoosa is prepared to pay for the return tickets, estimated to be about $1,200 to $1,500 per worker. The Governor advised Mr. Lee that Daewoosa should be fair with those workers who wish to stay to continue working, and send home those who do not want to work here. "There are no refugees here and it will not be allowed," Tauese told Miss Mai and Mr. Lee.

 Attorney for the Vietnamese workers Christa Lee said there are about 35 workers who want to go home as soon as possible. Miss Mai said a meeting with the workers last night would confirm how many workers do want to return home.

 Rumors abound about some of the workers desiring to stay to work for the Morgan Cooper garment factory whenever it opens for production.

 However, Tauese told Miss Mai that it must be relayed to the workers that they cannot work for another company, because under local laws, they are to return to their homeland when their local sponsorship is terminated.

 Worker problems:

 Mr. Lee advised the Governor that one of the problems Daewoosa has encountered with its Vietnamese workers is that some of them are doing outside work when they should be doing work for the company.

 He recalled that some workers spend time at night sewing garments for the locals, at $5-$6 a garment and going to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. They are then too tired or sleepy to join the Daewoosa production line.

 The Governor readily admitted that he has received complaints from sewing shop owners of losing business to the Vietnamese "moonlighters".

 Although it was not brought up during the meeting, the Samoa News learned from Daewoosa earlier in the day that company officials confiscated several garments made by Vietnamese workers for local people. They allegedly were selling their work for $7 a garment.

 After the Daewoosa tour, Tauese met with reporters in the afternoon and thanked the public for putting up with the workers roaming the villages and even at night time "looking for subsistence and work."

 "I know some of them are selling trinkets and handmade curios around the island and I’ve had complaints from sewing shops who pay local taxes that a lot of these workers taking business away from them," the Governor revealed.

 "Today at the factory, I was able to witness about 15 - 20 sewing for local people and I understand they make more money that way, $5 to $6 a dress, then sitting at the sewing machines at the factory," he continued.

 "There are also claims, although I don’t know the whole story and have really been unable to verify it yet, some of the girls are working at the clubs at night and sleeping during the daytime instead of working in the garment factory," he added.

 The Governor repeated many of these remarks on KVZK-TV last night during his video-taped press conference.
 
 

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