By Clint Thompson
Labor reform is hopefully on the way. It would be a long time coming for Southeast farmers, industry leaders and specialty crop organizations, who have advocated for H-2A reform for years. That includes John Hollay, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE).
He expressed thanks to U.S. Representative GT Thompson and his labor bill, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.
“We’ve been in the wilderness for 40 years. So, we were grateful that Mr. Thompson finally got the bill out and got it to a place where really all of agriculture could get behind it,” Hollay said. “I’ll say it’s kind of like three big buckets, and I know Chairman Thompson has used that term.
“Number one, it addresses the access piece. There are so many folks in agriculture that have been without a legal labor solution that works for them. This legislation addresses that. The wage issue gives us long-term certainty there by codifying the president’s interim final rule, which gives us a more market-based wage and gives us the ability to really kind of get back on our feet.
“And then finally, and this is probably right, the least sexy piece of the bill when people talk about it, is streamlining. Streamlining means making the program work as intended. And that is critical for our members who are already kind of struggling with making sure that they get the workers that they need on time.
“So making critical improvements so the program works as intended will ensure that it’s an attractive tool for agriculture that’s being asked to use it. I think that’s the three big buckets for us.”
Program Specifics
The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs. According to American Farm Bureau, more than 400,000 H-2A positions were requested in FY 2025. Almost half of the certifications occurred in just five states, including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.