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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “H-2A”
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification has provided Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) with general guidance regarding additional flexibilities for H-2A employers impacted by Hurricane Ian. Most Florida citrus is harvested by temporary H-2A workers. Following is a summary of the DOL answers to four questions about H-2A employer flexibilities due to the hurricane’s …
Florida accounted for 14% of H-2A jobs certified in 2020, making it the leading user of the temporary guest agricultural worker program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS) recently reported that Florida and five other states accounted for 55% of the certified H-2A jobs in 2020. The other large H-2A users were Georgia (10%), Washington (10%), California …
Florida Citrus Mutual recently published the following statement about comments it submitted regarding the wage rate for temporary foreign H-2A workers: “On January 31, 2022, Florida Citrus Mutual, along with many other agricultural entities nationwide, submitted comments to the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) in reference to the proposed changes to the methodology for the adverse effect wage rate …
A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …
A federal judge has blocked the H-2A wage freeze that the Department of Labor (DOL) announced in November. The DOL decision would have kept H-2A wages at 2020 rates through 2022. Last month, United Farm Workers (UFW) and the UFW Foundation filed a suit to block the DOL rule. U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd granted the injunction preventing DOL from …
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) commended the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for extending the 2020 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for the H-2A program through 2022. The vast majority of Florida citrus is harvested by temporary foreign workers in the H-2A program. “We applaud the agency for recognizing that the …
When the U.S. government announced its decision to suspend visa processing in Mexico on March 18 to combat the spread of COVID-19, growers around the country immediately expressed concerns that the action could have a major impact on agriculture and the U.S. food supply. The concern, of course, was due to the vital role that foreign workers play in the …
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced new features on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers.gov website designed to help facilitate the employment of H-2A workers. The vast majority of Florida citrus is harvested by temporary foreign workers employed through the H-2A program. “USDA’s goal is to help farmers navigate the complex H-2A program that is administered by …
A temporary final rule change to some H-2A requirements is intended to help citrus and other agricultural employers avoid disruptions to their labor forces, protect the food supply and lessen impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule change was announced by the Department of Homeland Security with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Temporary foreign H-2A workers make …
A panel discussion at Citrus Expo’s general session aimed to help make the federal H-2A foreign guest worker program a little easier for agriculturists to navigate. The panel included a grower representative who has used H-2A, a labor attorney who is an H-2A expert, and a federal Department of Labor (DOL) regional director. Natalie Gupton, director of business services and industry …
By Fritz M. Roka The number of H-2A foreign guest workers employed in Florida’s agricultural operations has grown from 4,400 in 2009 to nearly 23,000 by the start of the 2015 citrus harvesting season, more than a five-fold increase (Figure 1). More H-2A workers came to Florida in 2015 than to any other state. Industry leaders estimate that more than …
By Jaci Shreckengost The H-2A program is a guest-worker program that allows people from other countries to come to the United States on a visa as agricultural employees for temporary, seasonal work. Many industries are beginning to use H-2A due to uncertainty over the domestic labor supply, says Fritz Roka, an associate professor of agriculture economics at the University of …
By Jaci Shreckengost Concern over availability of domestic employees in the United States has caused growers to change where they get their labor. Fritz Roka, associate professor of agriculture economics at the University of Florida’s Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, says the uncertainty surrounding the immigration policies of the current United States administration has led growers to …
The federal H-2A program that allows temporary agricultural guest workers from other countries has grown dramatically in recent years. Approximately 80 percent of all Florida citrus is harvested by H-2A workers, says Carlene Thissen, coordinator for farm labor supervisor training at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. She says the number of H-2A workers in Florida citrus …
Growers spend a substantial amount of money every year to employ a labor force for their crops. Labor is the main issue that John Walt Boatright deals with as director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation. “No matter where we go and no matter who we talk to in farm country, labor continues to be the focal …
A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives recently reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, H.R. 3227. The bill would update the H-2A agricultural guest worker program. It is a compromise solution that supporters said provides stability for farms and farmworkers. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, one of those who reintroduced the bill, said, “It is well-past time we get this bipartisan …
Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) recently announced its “key advocacy efforts” during the upcoming state legislative session include the following: CITRUS RESEARCH AND FIELD TRIAL (CRAFT) FUNDS The top priority for FCM this legislative session is securing funding to bolster the CRAFT Foundation’s efforts to replant citrus trees. Putting healthier trees in the ground that are apt to be tolerant against …
The new year is off and running at a brisk pace. The Trump administration came to office with a large agenda and has begun to put it into action. With a new administration at the helm, now is a good time to assess how policies and economics could affect agriculture. Danny Munch will be speaking at this year’s Florida Citrus …
Labor is a perennial issue specialty crop growers must continue to deal with. Many growers in the Southeast have turned to the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program to source labor that is required on their farms. While the program has its challenges, it has become vital in securing production and harvest of specialty crops. Jamie Fussell, director of labor relations …
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Dec. 20 issued additional guidance following court orders from the Eastern District of Kentucky and the Southern District of Mississippi regarding the 2024 Farmworker Protection Rule. This rule, intended to enhance protections for workers in temporary agricultural employment, is currently under legal scrutiny, causing delays in its full implementation. A preliminary injunction from …
