Governor Lou Leon Guerrero says she is “confident” that government of Guam employees who are working on the front lines to control the spread of the coronavirus are being compensated “in accordance with the laws of Guam.”
In response to the threat of a lawsuit by the Guam Federation of Teachers, the Governor issued a statement last night saying, “No amount of pay could equal the service, sacrifice, and hard work of our frontliners. That is why we created COVID differential pay in the first place.”
The union believes that some of the CARES Act pandemic relief funding received by the administration should be used to provide double pay for essential GovGuam employees fighting the spread of the disease.
The GFT represents many of the nurses at Guam Memorial Hospital and other GovGuam employees.
Last Friday, during her most recent online news conference, the Governor said she does not support double pay for frontliners. “They are already getting differential pay,” said the Governor.
In her statement Tuesday evening, she said she hopes the union “will work with us to protect lives and livelihoods in both the public and private sectors.”
READ the statement from Governor Leon Guerrero in FULL below:
“No amount of pay could equal the service, sacrifice, and hard work of our frontliners. That is why we created COVID differential pay in the first place, and why we have always supported a new wage study for teachers and nurses.
Though we will reserve comment on a matter which may be litigated, we are confident our administration has acted in accordance with the laws of Guam, and the government’s personnel rules.
In the weeks to come, we hope that the Guam Federation of Teachers and others will work with us to protect lives and livelihoods in both the public and private sectors.”
