Governor Lou Leon Guerrero Signs 22-Percent Pay Raise
Mar 31, 2023 3:56 am
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Governor Lou Leon Guerrero Signs 22-Percent Pay Raise
GFT saw a marked increase in membership involvement as many individuals penned public testimonies in support of Bill 24-37. The Guam community, too, showed their support for this legislation in great numbers. The recent swell in support for Bill 24-37, which permits the Governor to authorize pay increases for those encompassed in the General Pay Plan (GPP), represents a significant triumph for the numerous employees who fall under this category, such as school aides, clerks, and bus drivers.
Despite the tremendous backing for this bill from both GFT members and the general public, not all members of the Guam Legislature were in favor of increasing GPP. With all the grand standing at the fiscal cost of a pay increase, some of these senators still voted to NOT increase the GPP. Some of these senators not only voted against raising the qualify of life for employees but also introduced legislation to provide businesses with $15 million from the budget. One of those who voted no said yes to nine pay raises, some deemed as illegal, as a director of an agency. These senators turned a blind eye to the tireless efforts of employees who worked during the pandemic and neglected those who have been grappling with inflation and stagnant wages for years. The callousness of these few senators is further underscored by their history of not advocating for the lowly paid over the course of several terms. If these senators had adhered to the law by mandating a wage study once every three years, Guam would not have had to raise wages by 22%. In light of the wage compression of 2014, employee pay remained relatively stagnant for over 20 years, during which time these derelict senators were in power. Their audacious behavior speaks volumes.
Biba senators who rose to support a 22% Pay Increase! Biba!
View the Bill in its entirety.
Seattle Law Grants Paid Sick Leave to Most Gig Workers
Seattle City Council has passed legislation requiring app-based delivery companies, including DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart, to offer paid sick time off to gig workers. This new law will be called the "App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance" and will provide gig workers with one day of paid sick time for every 30 days with at least one work-related stop in Seattle. The law also requires companies to pay “safe time” if services are suspended for health or safety reasons or for family-related situations, and offers protection for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
Seattle is the first US city to make these rights permanent for gig workers. Gig workers have been a contentious issue in the US, with Proposition 22, a law passed in California in 2020, letting companies such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees, leading to a legal challenge by unions and drivers. While the US Department of Labor is in the process of deciding whether gig workers should be classified as employees, individual states and cities will continue to regulate the treatment of gig workers piecemeal.