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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 2l9-8743.
Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich today announced the
appointment of six members of the committee selected to review current minimum
wage rates for all industries in American Samoa covered by the Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA), the federal wage and hour law.
The committee hearing is open to the public. It will begin
June l2, l995, in Pago, American Samoa.
The committee consists of two members each selected to
represent the public sector, employers, and employees. Joseph Sharnoff, the
chair, and Soliai T. Fuimaono are public representatives. Patricia R. Letuli
and Brian W. Leamy are employer representatives, and John Zalusky and
Moaaliitele Tuufuli are employee representatives.
The FLSA provides that minimum wage rates in American Samoa
may be established by special industry committees at rates below that required
on the mainland. The current mainland minimum wage is $4.25 an hour.
After public hearings to review local economic conditions
and testimony from interested parties, the committee will determine whether
Samoan minimum wage rates - currently $2.25 to $3.50 an hour - should be
increased or should remain at current levels. Wage rates cannot be
decreased.
The committee will recommend to the Labor Department the
highest rate for each industry that will not substantially curtail employment
and will not give industries in the territory a competitive advantage over
similar mainland businesses. These recommendations will be published in the
Federal Register and take effect l5 days after publication.
Nearly 8,000 public and private employees in American Samoa
are protected by FLSA, including most of the approximately 2,700 employees of
the Government of American Samoa. Tuna canning, the major private sector
industry, employs more than 3,900 workers in two canneries.
The FLSA provides for minimum wage, overtime pay,
recordkeeping and child labor standards and is enforced by the Wage and Hour
Division of the department's Employment Standards Administration.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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