Preparations for the 2014 Labor Day celebration are on track, says Human Resources Acting Director Eseneiaso Liu, who pointed out that last year was the first time the holiday was observed in American Samoa with a government-wide celebration honoring its workforce.

Labor Day is a federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September each year.  This year, Labor Day falls on September 1, 2014.

This was on the agenda of items discussed during the last cabinet meeting where Lt Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga as Acting Governor told directors and agency heads that the government must recognize its employees — the people who move the government forward — during this holiday.

Liu said the planning and coordinating committee (which includes ASG departments, agencies and the private sector) has come together during the last few weeks to establish a program for this year’s celebration in recognition of our territory’s workforce.

Proclamations in English and Samoan for the Labor Day observance have been submitted to the Governor’s Office for review and approval for publication. Entertainment and games will be coordinated by DHSS Director Taeaoafua M. Solomona and DOE Deputy Director Philo Jennings and the games and activities are still in planning stages, but will be available for review at the next meeting. 

A parade will be followed with “Zumba” before the start of the official program. The Office of Samoan Affairs has offered to prepare the siva and pese, and the committee is seeking support from one of the Authorities or a private company to be the second performance for pese and siva. She said that it can also be a combination of Departments. If several departments or agencies want to perform, please let them know.

DHS Director Utuali’i Iuniasolua Savusa is responsible for the “Order of March” and staging area will be at the OMV Compound. There will also be floats where departments/agencies/authorities/and private sector are welcome to prepare a float in celebration of this event.  Points of contact for this are are Henry Tavake,  Savusa, and Director Pili Gaoteote.

Regarding the uniform there will be a one-screen name, which was the same as last year, and departments/agencies/authorities/and private companies are granted liberty on their choice of colors. The departments and private sector will provide food for their own respective organizations. However, there is a request for five plates dedicated to the VIP staging area. There will also be food vendors, however DOH requires a health card and an application to Parks & Recreation in order to sell food during this 1-day event.

According to Liu, the program will have a moment of silence—In Memoriam— to honor all those who have passed away in the last two years while in service to the American Samoa Government as well as private companies.

 She urged that those participating ASG agencies and private sector companies who have lost a colleague in the last two years, please submit their names to DHR office, to be recognized during the “In Memoriam” segment of the program.

The person who will be raising the flag will be selected from among Senior Citizens within TAOA, and names of selected individuals will be published in the final program. There will also be employee recognition, where ASG and private sector companies may present their awards during this segment of the program. However they must contact the DHR office in order to issue Certificates of Appreciation or Awards to be inserted into the final program.

PRIVATE SECTOR

An effort to highlight the private sector is a driving theme behind the planning and coordinating of this event. The companies that are a part of the planning committee for the AS Workforce Day Celebration are; McConnell Dowell; Tool Shop Inc.; Origin Gas; Paramount Builders Inc.; StarKist and Bluesky.