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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219- 8743.
Mandatory minimum wage rates for American Samoa will
increase Thursday, Sept. 28, the U.S. Labor Department announced today.
A special six-member industry committee appointed by Labor
Secretary Robert B. Reich met in Pago Pago, American Samoa, in June. The
committee, composed of two members representing the public, employers and
employees, reviewed the economic conditions in American Samoa and heard public
testimony before it made its binding recommendations.
In tuna canning, the chief Samoan industry, the required
minimum wage rates will rise to $3.10 per hour effective July 1, 1996, an
increase of 5 cents per hour.
Minimum wage rates for the other covered private-sector
industries in the territory will increase by a range of 5 to 25 cents per hour
effective Sept. 28, 1995 and by another 10 to 15 cents on July 1, 1996. The
wage rates for all government employees will increase to $2.45 per hour
effective Oct. 1, 1996.
The industry committee meets biennially to recommend an
alternative to the automatic application of the mainland minimum wage rate, and
to gradually increase rates to the mainland level without adverse effect on the
Samoan economy or on job opportunities. The current mainland minimum wage is
$4.25 an hour.
Authority for this special industry committee procedure is
contained in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, administered by the Wage and
Hour Division of the Labor Department's Employment Standards
Administration.
Notice of the new American Samoa wage rates was published
in the Federal Register on September 13, 1995.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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