Members of Congress are taking a step toward a possible solution to the H-2B worker shortage. The House Immigration Subcommittee scheduled a formal hearing on the H-2B program for next week. The hearing will be at 2 p.m. April 16 in room 2141 in the Rayburn House office building.
The witnesses appearing before the subcommittee will be comprised of both pro- and anti-H-2B program advocates, according to the group Save Small Business. The group anticipates representatives from the Southern Poverty Law Center and members of the labor movement will appear to oppose the guest-worker program.
On behalf of H-2B will likely be H-2B users from Michigan and Massachusetts.
In addition to this panel, Save Our Small Business anticipates the first part of the session will be devoted members of Congress who are on each side of the issue.
The guest-worker program allows 66,000 foreign workers to be hired for seasonal jobs in the U.S. each year. A provision that allows returning workers not to count against the cap expired Sept. 30, 2007, and Congress has not been able to pass a new provision. The hearing could mean a step toward a provision renewal.
Save Our Small Business recommends that anyone who has an interest in the program do the following:
- Make sure that your member of Congress knows about the hearing, and let your member of Congress know how much it would mean to you and your American workers if he/she would testify on behalf of the H-2B program;
- If you can make it to Washington either alone or with one or more of your workers (American or H-2B), try to attend.
Click here for the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) H-2B Toolkit.