The words that come out of the mouths of some reveal less about others than they do about themselves. An excellent example of this is from Senator Chris Duenas, who recently called giving fair pay to GovGuam workers “Selfish Acts.” He may point to others with his finger, decrying seflishness, but he has three other fingers pointing back at himself.
Despite his own knowledge that the wages and salaries of GovGuam workers were hadn’t been raised since 2014, Senator Chris Duenas has opposed giving GovGuam workers raises to address current market conditions. Since 2014, wages have risen substantially in relevant markets in the mainland and in Guam, among comparable jobs in Guam, and inflation has significantly diminished the purchasing power of the families who rely on government salaries.
What exactly was his issue? It’s not clear. He opposed raises for classroom teachers in the 2023 budget, but his excuses were confused ramblings rather than a proper argument. And that remains true today, when he suggests that government workers should denied market rate compensation to fund repairs to schools. Maybe he should start by donating the over $14 thousand dollars retro he gave himself after being defeated in the 2014 General Election. If there is any pay raise that lacked legitimacy in recent years, it was that one, which raised senatorial salaries retroactively by $24 thouand a year. During the next legislature, that illegitimate pay raise was repealed.
If pay raises for ordinary GovGuam workers are denied so the government can fund repairs or improvements to public infrastructure, it is tantamount to saying that it is the financial responsibility of government employees to fund capital improvement projects. That idea is absurd. No private sector worker is made to pay for improvements to their employers’ businesses. Why should government employees be made to pay for the decision by policymakers in the legislature not to fund maintenance adequately, for years? It should be noted that the legislature almost never provides what is requested by the Department of Education.
Being generous, those are two instances of selfishness, attempting to deny raises which would allow GovGuam to attract and maintain workers needed for public service, and the retroactive pay raise Senator Duenas gave himself. Is there another instance of selfishness?
In the beginning of last term, Chris Duenas cosponsored the bill that delayed increasing the minimum wage. As introduced, it would have delayed the increase from $8.75 to $9.25 per hour by a full year. While no delay in the increased mimimum wage was necessary, the legislature only delayed the increase by 6 months. The cost to a full time minimum wage worker from that move was $520. That’s $520 taken out of the pockets of low wage workers due to Duenas’ selfish desire to serve the interests of big business at the direct cost of working class families.
It is time to set aside such selfish behavior and side with the working people of Guam, in the private and public sector. Give GovGuam workers the 22% pay raise they deserve and increase the minimum wage to $11.10 per hour by March 2024!
GuamMinimumWage.org 