U.S. based StarKist Co., says their general manager for StarKist Samoa operations in American Samoa will be going on a leave of absence, but industry sources insist that the first Samoan boss of the largest private employer in the territory resigned last week.

Samoa News received word this past weekend that general manager Brett Butler had tendered his letter of resignation last Friday, with his last day on the job set for Jun. 15. This was also the same information received from two tuna industry sources, who chose to remain anonymous.

StarKist spokesperson Michelle Faist, based at the company’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, didn’t respond immediately to Samoa News questions sent Monday morning. Yesterday morning, however, Faist provided a brief company statement.

“Brett Butler, current Director, General Manager, StarKist Samoa, will be taking a leave of absence for personal reasons starting June 16. StarKist Co. has named Sangdong Kwon, Director, Plant Operations, as interim plant manager in Butler’s absence,” according to the statement.

Samoa News had asked Faist for confirmation that Butler had resigned, why the general manager resigned and who has been appointed to the post. Butler was not in the office on Monday and was also out of his office yesterday. He didn’t immediately return a message left with his office seeking comments.

Responding to a Samoa News inquiry, the governor’s executive assistant Iulogologo Joseph Pereira said from Honolulu that Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga “has not received any official word from StarKist or Mr. Brett Butler” on this matter.

Despite the StarKist statement that Butler will be taking leave, the two industry sources — who spoke on Monday with Samoa News — insisted yesterday (when contacted again) that their information was in fact true, and that Butler had resigned, but the pair couldn’t provide any other details at this point.

Butler started at StarKist Samoa several years ago, working his way up the ladder to director of operations before taking up the general manager post in 2005.

Butler has been the face of StarKist Samoa for many years, and appeared in numerous Fono hearings where he was forced to explain why the company implemented a major layoff in 2010. He was also the one who had to face government officials on issues pertaining to and affecting the cannery and the tuna canning industry.

He was also the ‘manaia’ for StarKist Samoa in this year’s Flag Day celebration that focused on the private sector and its contributions to the territory’s economic successes and future.

StarKist Samoa employees performed during the pese & siva section of the Flag Day program, and were led by Butler.  In the pese portion the cannery singers urged the government to “push, push for wages” in American Samoa to be considered by a special committee, rather than set by incremental wage hikes mandated by the U.S. Congress.