Senate Bill Would Help Stabilize Workforce
Legislation would authorize foreign laborers not currently covered under H-2A.
Compiled by staff
Published: Oct 4, 2010
A bill introduced by a trio of U.S. Senators would help stabilize the dairy, sheep and goat work force. Senators Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have introduced the H-2A Improvement Act, which would authorize foreign dairy workers, sheep herders, and goat herders to remain in the U.S. for an initial period of three years, and gives the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services the authority to approve a worker for an additional three-year period.
"The National Milk Producers Federation supports this approach to helping farmers ensure that their workforce needs are met," said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF. "The new H-2A visa legislation won't resolve all of the labor challenges facing our dairy sector, but it does close the existing loophole allowing other farm employers to use the H-2A program, while denying that opportunity to dairy owners."
Under present law, farms that hire seasonal workers to harvest fruits and vegetables can utilize the H-2A visa program. Dairy farms are not included because milk production is not considered seasonal work.
A survey released in 2009 of the labor and hiring practices of U.S. dairy operations found that many farms are heavily dependent on foreign laborers, and that the dairy sector would be crippled if it had no access to immigrant workers. That survey is available on the NMPF Web site at www.nmpf.org/files/file/NMPF%20Immigration%20Survey%20Web.pdf.
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Tagged: labor, farm, Harvest
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