This information was sourced from administrator Brian Pasternak with Office of Foreign Labor Certification, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). DOL QUESTION: Can workers perform debris removal and other clean-up duties resulting from a hurricane even where these duties were not disclosed in the H-2A job order? ANSWER: Yes. H-2A workers and domestic workers employed in …
ERS Report: H-2A Certified Jobs Numbered 275,000 in 2020
Fears of H-2A labor shortages during the onset of COVID-19 were unfounded with no widespread reports of shortages. This is according to a recent study administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS). There were, however, reports of lower earnings for farm workers due to fewer hours being offered as a result of reduced demand for …
Registration Ongoing for Upcoming Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum
By Clint Thompson Registration is ongoing for the upcoming Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum, scheduled for Nov. 9-10 at ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture in Tifton, Georgia. The event is tailored towards agricultural employers, human resource managers and administrators. It will provide discussions with leading experts on how to navigate the challenge of finding and maintaining a consistent workforce, says …
AFBF’s Concern Over Provision in Farm Workforce Modernization Act
By Clint Thompson Time is ticking for the U.S. Senate to approve and pass its version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bill aimed at improving workforce access for farmers and that has already been passed twice by the House of Representatives. One provision in the legislation to expand the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) to …
‘Plenty’ of H-2A Workers Still Coming from Mexico
By Clint Thompson The only source for labor that Southeast specialty crop producers have to choose from will not be running out of applicants any time soon. Dan Bremer, with Agworks H2 LLC, discussed the H-2A program during the Southern Peanut Growers Conference last weekend. He believes farmers will always have labor options if they choose to pursue the H-2A …
H-2A Program: What Else is There?
By Clint Thompson With all of the expensive headaches that accompany the H-2A program, it still provides growers with a much-needed workforce they aren’t going to find anywhere else. “I think at this particular juncture, people see it as the only game in town. No other viable option has presented itself,” said Veronica Nigh, economist with American Farm Bureau Federation …
Current Labor Market Crisis Provides Spotlight on Problem in Agriculture
By Clint Thompson The current labor crisis sweeping through the United States provides another spotlight on the problem in the agricultural industry. Veronica Nigh, economist with American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), discusses the issue. “I think what’s likely to cause more action is maybe the fact that it’s not just Ag that’s having trouble with wage growth right now. When …
Hired Farm Workers, Wages Increased in April
The number of hired farm workers and wage rates increased during this past April, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 630,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on farms and ranches throughout the country during the week of April 10-16, 2022. It increased by 3% from the April 2021 reference week. By comparison, …
Southeast Farm Labor Update
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 30,000 farm labor workers hired directly by farmers in the Southeast, including Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, during the week of April 10-16. Florida producers hired 28,000 during the same timeframe. Southeast farm operators paid hired farm labor workers an average gross wage rate of $13.76 per …
AFBF Fearful Vaccination Mandate Could Impact H-2A Program
By Clint Thompson The mandate that all non-U.S individuals entering the United States show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination will impact specialty crop producers hoping to get H-2A workers into the country in time for the spring crop. That’s the fear anyway shared by American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Director of Congressional Relations Allison Crittendon. “I think it could cause …