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.
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.
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