By Frank Giles Southeastern specialty crop growers have been seeking reform in farm labor policy for many years. Because of its nexus with immigration policy, meaningful solutions have been hard to come by. Proposals have been put forth, but partisan politics see those efforts stall. That has forced many growers to utilize the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) H-2A visa …
Action Taken Against Adverse Effect Wage Rates Rule
In late February, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) pushed through a new methodology used to determine the hourly adverse effect wage rates (AEWR) for agricultural employers. The rule became effective March 30. Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) Director of Labor Relations Jamie Fussell discussed the action’s impact on growers: IMPACT ON EMPLOYERSSimply, the new rule may mean that multiple …
H-2A Labor Demand Surging
Recently released data from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reflects surging demand for temporary agricultural employees under the H-2A program. DOL data for the first two quarters of fiscal year 2022 indicate that program applications increased 17.5% over the previous fiscal year. At the same time, the total number of jobs certified by DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification …