Posted on 02/26/2016 1:42:27 AM PST by true believer forever
Those unfamiliar with the South Florida general labor market are most likely unfamiliar with the extreme swings in “seasonal need†workers.
Does the word "Snowbird" ring a bell? Florida has a "tourist season" which runs from (generally speaking) just after Thanksgiving to Easter annually. January, February and March are the peak. The first Monday in February is the absolute peak as almost every time-share and hotel unit flips that week.
The volume of work within the service and hospitality industry doubles during the tourist season, and those businesses who hire within the general labor market struggle to increase their labor in relationship to the increase in business. In addition, local workers looking for employment are reluctant to take temporary or "seasonal" jobs, and prefer longer term, more stable employment.
Many businesses need to double, or in some cases triple, their workforce in order to meet the business demand. [In 2014 97,300,000 tourists visited Florida].
Palm Beach, Florida tourism season doubles, and at times triples, the business not only for Donald Trump resorts, but for every business in and around the host and hospitality sector.
Palm Beach, like many South Florida areas even have celebrations when the "snowbirds", "frog heads", and "tourons" go home at season's end.
(Excerpt) Read more at theconservativetreehouse.com ...
No Kidding!
Try building a house here in Texas with only Americans. There is probably a price-point at which the unions would search around and find people capable of doing the work, but we’re talking $500 a square foot, just in labor costs.
That’s what gets me mad when people go after Trump’s guest worker plan - they seem to think that we can simply get rid of all these people with NO DISRUPTION in our economy. Can’t happen...we will need skilled manual labor types back here in some form - at least until we can start phasing them out by encouraging young AMERICANS to actually WORK FOR A LIVING, rather than spend every day doing nothing but texting.
Cruz changed nothing by his actions other than piss off people. Cruz is not only feckless in accomplishing things FOR America, he now agrees Rubio is a good candidate.
America needs a candidate who can push both sides to accomplish positive things for America and that is Trump.
Startling, wasn't it? Cruz and Rubio tag team.
Very sobering read: If you are a prayer, please do.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/02/24/gope-announce-plans-to-go-full-mississippi-on-donald-trump-to-destroy-him/
And look at what the politicians, especially the DIMOCRATS, have done to the black communities. They destroyed their family structure with welfare so there’s no one to teach them any kind of work ethic. They need jobs, they get hired but end up firing themselves with attendance policies or come in with bad attitudes and chips on their shoulders because they are actually required to WORK when they are at WORK.
Of course, that doesn’t include the illegals Trump’s subcontractors use in the recent construction of that DC hotel, but that aside...
Interesting how suddenly the idea of foreign guest workers has found such favor here in FR, legal status notwithstanding.
So you Trump backers are now OK with CA vintners bringing in green card-holding guest workers from south of the border to work the grapes, right? I ask, because a relatively short time ago that whole program met with a lot of derision here on FR.
After all.. we wouldn’t want to be hypocritical now, would we?
How many H1B visa does Cruz want in a year?
What is 15 X Now?
This is where Trump the populist lets his mouth get away from him. The insurance industry is regulated at the state level, not nationally. The only way to do what he wants to do is ignore the Tenth Amendment, and then shut down every state insurance commission across the country and replace them all with a Federal "insurance czar."
There's a hidden agenda at work here, of course. Trump's home state of New York has a reputation for being among the most expensive states in the U.S. for most types of insurance. It's actually not a bad thing. One big reason for this is that New York is one of the most onerous regulatory environments for insurance carriers, and these regulations are aimed at protecting policy holders by ensuring the financial stability of the insurance companies.
When Trump says we should eliminate state lines for the insurance industry, he's not suggesting that someone in New York should be able to buy an insurance policy from a Mississippi company. He wants to put the Mississippi company out of business by forcing it to meet New York's regulatory requirements.
If you have any doubt about this, just understand that this is exactly what all of the idiotic coverage requirements under ObamaCare were all about.
And look at what the politicians, especially the DIMOCRATS, have done to the black communities. They destroyed their family structure with welfare so there’s no one to teach them any kind of work ethic. They need jobs, they get hired but end up firing themselves with attendance policies or come in with bad attitudes and chips on their shoulders because they are actually required to WORK when they are at WORK.
***
I am experiencing this now, for the first time in my life. I’m watching as an African-American employee who was hired for whatever reason I cannot imagine, because she certainly does not possess the basic skills to do the job, and is entirely unable to do, and unwilling to learn the job. Now the company is spending hundreds of hours to “re-train” this person who simply cannot be trained. I’ve never seen this before, as many of the AA people I’ve worked with in healthcare have been amazingly competent and hardworking. What gets me the MOST is her attitude. Everyone is “trashing” her. She “has her pride” and we’re all supposed to be the bad guys for expecting that she can actually perform the duties as required in the job description. A lot of it, from what I can see, is that she just never received a decent basic education from the start. Poor literacy skills ...can’t write, can’t spell. Computer literacy in the crapper. Ability to think and problem solve ...non-existent. She’ll do the basic tasks but she seems unable to take initiative. If you don’t tell her to do the task ...she will prefer to sit and do nothing. Everything has to be spelled out and directed.
When you get right down to that ...it’s thievery in yet another form. If you can’t do a job, then you have NO RIGHT to stay at a place of employment and sit on your butt and get paid anymore.
It’s no wonder American business is in trouble and is having to resort to bringing in foreign workers. We have absolutely screwed the pooch when it comes to the education of much of our populace who are now basically useless to us in the workplace.
Yep visa workers are great now that Donald used them.......before that Cruz was pro immigration for voting for this program.
What? He legally hired visa workers for seasonal work in Florida????
Oh my God, I better change my supply to the GOPe hack that supports amnesty because of this!
Seriously who do they think to influence with that srgument that isn’t already voting for them in the first place?
I admit I didn’t see the whole debate but what I did see it looked like two chihuahuas nipping at the heels of a Rottweiler.
You are making a silly argument.
Trump operated within the rules and laws that were written, but we should punish him because he did what everyone in business does? Meanwhile Cruz and Rubio help make the laws that dictate the system.
So you want those who are forced to operate within the legal frameworks to carry the sin of the improperness of the framework they are forced to operate in?
If you believe these things are equivalent please pull the lever for Rubio or Cruz, because clearly enjoy the oligarchy that the Uniparty is beholden ton.
If you cared to read, or if truth held any matter for you, you would know the 70 hires each year were seasonal and because no one in the PB area wanted temp 120-day min wage jobs.
Now, I’ll leave you to your derision and self righteousness.
But then you don't know the real Donald Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU4ZnAZ5-A0
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/13/nyregion/trump-says-he-didn-t-know-he-employed-illegal-aliens.html
If you cared to pay attention — true believer — you would gather that my point was about the hypocrisy many are showing here in FR about the program as a whole, not the fact Trump utilized it.
The beachfront resorts near where I live face the same dilemma each year. I’m not against hiring LEGAL foreign workers. What I DO oppose is the gaggle of purported conservatives who lambast a practice on one hand, yet excuse that same practice when their favorite candidate engages in it.
NOW do you understand??
No, it is a very big issue. Comprehensive Immigration Reform includes visa reform, and whereas most are concerned with the amnesty part of immigration reform, visa reform is equally important, or more important.
As the article points out, they are talking about the H2A Temp Ag worker visa and the H2B Temp non Ag worker visa. These two visas are considered to be unskilled, although there are some skilled workers and college educated who come in under these unskilled visas. When visa reform is talked about, the H1B technical and professional temp worker visa is also said to need reforming.
There has also been proposed a third nonskilled temp work visa. The H2A and H2B are seasonal visas and most say we need another that lasts longer than seasonal. When Bush was prez, this new visa was sometimes called the H2C, H5A, or Z visa. In the Bush plan, the new temp work visa was for 3 years and could possibly renewed for a second 3 year period.
Trump uses the H2B visa. The hospitality industry uses H2B as does the lawn care industry(leaf blowers) and sea food processors(oyster shuckers), and numerous others. Because they are seasonal workers, businesses in the southern tier of states are more likely to get an H2B worker because the season starts earlier and lasts longer. A hotel in Florida is more likely to get an H2B worker than a hotel in Maine.
In 2005, the quota on H2B was raised from 66,000 to 96,000 to make it equitable, but it was temporary and in 2007 it reverted to 66,000. The unions and the Hispanic caucus killed it to punish the GOP because the GOP had killed the comprehensive legislation.
The H2A has an unlimited quota, but not very many ag businesses use it because there are many rules that make it difficult to use and they can get fined if they break the rules.
The employer has to advertise the job long before the temp job actually starts(spend/waste money), and if nobody applies, the employer can then enter into a contract with the Dept of Labor to hire the temp workers, but it is a fixed date contract and most likely the fixed dates won't coincide with when he actually needs the worker.
Once the employer gets his workers, the 60% rule kicks in which says that if a domestic worker shows up looking for a job before 60% of the contract with DoL has expired, the employer has to hire the domestic worker at the same pay.
The 3/4 rule also kicks in which says that if the employer wants get rid of a guest worker, he must pay that worker 75% of what he would have earned through out the life of the contract.
During the Bush years, reform of the H2A visa was based on AgJOBS, which had been negotiated by the growers and the United Farm Workers.
Sigh. The ignorance of this post is stunning. For a non-staffing/consulting agency, this is a very high number. What you people don’t realize is that the vast, vast, vast majority of visa sponsorships happen at the agency level, not the company that ultimately uses the labor. So, if Trump’s companies actually sponsored 1100 visas themselves, they probably had 10 times that amount working there that were sponsored by the agency.
If you lack experience in this area, save me your ignorant reply.
I hope my reply isn’t so ignorant it upsets you or disturbs your well embalmed sense of superiority and self esteem. IF you had bothered to read the article - I can understand if you didn’t - after all how could a quality person like you have anything left to learn?
The visas were 1100 over 16 years, from 2000, meaning about 70 per year. Actually, 73.3 - I’m sure you are enamored of numerical precision - such a stellar individual as yourself couldn’t help but be. Not only that, but the work was temporary for the Palm Beach season which lasts approximately 120 day or 3 months ( i did that math all by myself w/o a calculator) or 4 months at the very most. It paid minimum wage. Actually more than minimum wage as florida mw is 8.22 and Trump paid his employees 10-12 per hours. Finally, all the PB locals interested in working at Mar a Lago already were, full time and permanently, and it was very difficult to find people willing to travel 5-10 miles for a temporary minimum wage job.
Please forgive any ignorance I may exhibit in this, my reply. I am a mere human not hardly used to traipsing through the garden with gods such as yourself.
what a jerk you are. Let me guess, you support Cruz.
That’s the same dynamic with the Mackinac Island area of Michigan. Tons and tons of tourists during the summer months but dead the rest of the year. They do the same thing...bring in temp workers from places like Russia, Poland etc. There’s not near enough locals to fill all the positions that need to be filled during that brief period.
As the article points out, they are talking about the H2A Temp Ag worker visa and the H2B Temp non Ag worker visa. These two visas are considered to be unskilled, although there are some skilled workers and college educated who come in under these unskilled visas. When visa reform is talked about, the H1B technical and professional temp worker visa is also said to need reforming.
There has also been proposed a third nonskilled temp work visa. The H2A and H2B are seasonal visas and most say we need another that lasts longer than seasonal. When Bush was prez, this new visa was sometimes called the H2C, H5A, or Z visa. In the Bush plan, the new temp work visa was for 3 years and could possibly renewed for a second 3 year period.
Trump uses the H2B visa. The hospitality industry uses H2B as does the lawn care industry(leaf blowers) and sea food processors(oyster shuckers), and numerous others. Because they are seasonal workers, businesses in the southern tier of states are more likely to get an H2B worker because the season starts earlier and lasts longer. A hotel in Florida is more likely to get an H2B worker than a hotel in Maine.
In 2005, the quota on H2B was raised from 66,000 to 96,000 to make it equitable, but it was temporary and in 2007 it reverted to 66,000. The unions and the Hispanic caucus killed it to punish the GOP because the GOP had killed the comprehensive legislation.
The H2A has an unlimited quota, but not very many ag businesses use it because there are many rules that make it difficult to use and they can get fined if they break the rules.
The employer has to advertise the job long before the temp job actually starts(spend/waste money), and if nobody applies, the employer can then enter into a contract with the Dept of Labor to hire the temp workers, but it is a fixed date contract and most likely the fixed dates won't coincide with when he actually needs the worker.
Once the employer gets his workers, the 60% rule kicks in which says that if a domestic worker shows up looking for a job before 60% of the contract with DoL has expired, the employer has to hire the domestic worker at the same pay.
The 3/4 rule also kicks in which says that if the employer wants get rid of a guest worker, he must pay that worker 75% of what he would have earned through out the life of the contract.
During the Bush years, reform of the H2A visa was based on AgJOBS, which had been negotiated by the growers and the United Farm Workers.
You paint an entirely different picture than the article, which just paints a broad general picture. If you read the NYT article out on Thursday it, of course, takes the position that these visas are used primarily for exploitation and in order to pay lower wages. In Trump's case, the jobs were for 120-160 days, coinciding the Palm Beach season. What a mess. The govt just seems to complicate everything.
Thanks for a really remarkable and informative post.
Have a great day!
That is very similar to what Trump's resort in Palm Beach does. The season there lasts 120-150 days. Very hard to find locals interested in lowpaying temp jobs.
Oh my God, I better change my supply to the GOPe hack that supports amnesty because of this!
Seriously who do they think to influence with that srgument that isn’t already voting for them in the first place?
I admit I didn't see the whole debate but what I did see it looked like two chihuahuas nipping at the heels of a Rottweiler.
Exactly, especially since Trump has said many many times that he loves the Mexican people and employs thousands of them legally.
Your little description of the chihuahuas nipping is very close to a lot of other observations. I thought Cruz and Rubio looked ridiculous, and I am s sure their supporters will have a rocking time claiming they won the debate and beat the big bad donald.
Have a great day!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.