January 20, 2022 — An organizational climate survey of Port Authority of Guam employees showed high employee morale, job satisfaction and support for management.

The anonymous organizational climate survey was conducted last month and 92% of all 368 employees took part in the survey. The survey showed that 98% of all employees have a positive work experience at the port. Survey results also showed that 96% feel there is high morale, 92% feel that management is fair and also transparent and 94% feel management is accountable. The survey provided employees an opportunity to anonymously rate different levels of our agency as it assessed what they value most in their employment and provided them an opportunity to make positive suggestions for improvement.

“These numbers overwhelmingly reflect the Port’s organizational culture and it is clear that our high productivity levels match our high morale,” said Port General Manager Rory J. Respicio. “Although we are clearly pleased that 98% of the employees have such positive feelings about work as well as management, we will continue to focus on the two percent of the employees who are not having the same experience here at the port.”

Respicio presented the survey results today during the monthly Board of Directors meeting. During the meeting the Board also adopted Resolution 2022-01, “Relative to adopting the recommendations made by the Office of Public Accountability (OPA) in its performance audits (OPA Report No. 21-03 and OPA Report No. 21-09), specifically the ratification of back wages provided for seven (7) recently reinstated Port employees, as recommended by the OPA, ratifying such action specifying legal remedies; i.e, compensation of the total back wages, interest, and legal fees and costs, and to further providing herein a structure establishing uniformity and consistency in how Port management will prospectively address these personnel matters.” The resolution addresses recent OPA audits regarding the settlements of the seven wrongfully terminated Port employees and incorporates the OPA suggestions to adopt board policies regarding this matter.

Board Member Dr. Judith Guthertz said that she agrees with the actions the board took to settle the cases and fully supports the ratification of management’s actions when following the court orders and judgements in favor of the seven wrongfully terminated employees.

“As the newest board member here, I can see how these actions to reconstruct these back wages could have been misinterpreted to make the kind of suggestions resulting from these audit findings,” Guthertz said.

She added that if she had been a member of the Board of Directors when they voted to settle the cases she would have voted in favor along with the other members.

Dr. Guthertz added: “How much longer are all of these wrongfully terminated seven Port employees have to endure all of this abuse? We are going on 10 years and millions of dollars spent to fight these people. We must end all of this misconception, and in so doing, make sure that clarifications are made for record purposes. Resolution 2022-01, with all of its supporting documents, provides the clarity to frame the real story and the truth. And after all of this travesty befallen on these 7 wrongfully terminated employees and their families, including a former General Manager Sen. Torres and her family, and the millions of dollars spent by the Port over the years, I strongly believe that Resolution 2022-01 is the one thing that will put an end to all of this, and to provide a remedy for what I am sure NONE of us will ever want to see this ever happen again to anyone in our government.”

Resolution No. 2022-01 passed unanimously today.

Meanwhile, the Board today also unanimously voted to give General Manager Rory J. Respicio, as well as Deputy General Managers Dominic Muna and Luis R. Baza, Exceptional Performance Evaluations for the work they have done over the past year. The discussions on the annual Performance Evaluations were held in open session for full transparency and no increment will be included with the evaluations.

The Board also voted unanimously to retain Francisco G. Santos as Chairman, Nathan T. Taimanglo as Vice Chairman and Isa Marie C. Koki as Board Secretary.