Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Cannery in American Samoa welcomes delay in wage hike

Posted at 22:41 on 18 July, 2012 UTC

The U.S. based Tri Marine International says it’s pleased the U.S. House has passed legislation that would delay the next wage hike until 2015.

The company’s operations in American Samoa include a new cannery at the old COS Samoa Packing plant.

Tri Marine’s vice president of production, Dan Sullivan, says the action, once signed into law, removes a potential roadblock to the company’s development plans which are underway and projected to extend into 2013.

He says it’s extremely important for the American Samoa economy and its tuna industry that future consideration of increases in the minimum wage beyond 2015 does not have a significant negative impact on jobs and the economy.

Meanwhile, the StarKist company president and CEO, In-Soo Cho, says he’s grateful to Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin for his diligent work regarding the minimum wage.