26 Nov 2008

American Samoa cannery chided for lay-offs

5:01 pm on 26 November 2008

American Samoa's member of the US Congress Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin has admonished the StarKist Samoa cannery for laying off workers.

In a letter to the CEO and President of Star Kist, Don Binnoto, the Congressman questioned the cannery's decision to cut 20 salaried positions and discontinue nearly all benefits for hourly employees.

The Congressman says that StarKist and its rival, Chicken of the Sea, are first in line to ask for federal and local handouts and last in line to do right by their workers.

He says over the past two years his office worked to obtain a 33 million US dollar federal income tax break for both canneries at a time when the US is faced with an unprecedented financial crisis.

And Faleomavaega says American Samoa Government also offers both canneries tax breaks..

He says the terms of these deals should be made public because the people of American Samoa deserve to know how their taxes are being spent.