Online Exclusive: Labor Remains First Priority For USApple
July 22, 2011 Agricultural labor reform remains the number one legislative priority for USApple. A stable, reliable, and legal workforce is critical to the health and viability of the industry.
Legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate to require all employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the work eligibility of new hires. The E-Verify legislation is expected to move through the House Judiciary Committee this summer with a possible vote by the full-House as early as September.
USApple and other labor intensive agriculture organizations are pushing House and Senate leaders to include meaningful agricultural labor reforms as part of any package before it is voted on. A number of states have passed E-Verify legislation, most recently Georgia. Before the Georgia law even took effect, there were widespread reports of worker shortages resulting in crop losses across the state.
While the downturn in the economy has resulted in a widely available worker applicant pool for industries such as construction, those in agriculture still confront worker shortages. Those using the H-2A program face unprecedented delays and denials often resulting in workers arriving way past the date of need. There is deep concern that if E-Verify is mandated without reforms, growers will be forced into the H-2A program virtually overnight. This dysfunctional program does not have the capacity to go from fewer than 70,000 workers to more than 800,000. USApple will update its members with an “action alert” and easy steps to contact members of Congress. If you want to learn more and to receive these alerts, please contact Diane Kurrle at [email protected].
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