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GOP’s H-2B Expansion Gives Business Unlimited Supply of Foreign Workers
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:32 am
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:32 am
LINK
A plan to massively expand the importation of low-skilled foreign workers to the United States would allow American businesses to hire an unlimited number of foreigners instead of American citizens.
Every year, the U.S. companies are allowed to import 66,000 low-skilled H-2B foreign workers to take blue-collar, non-agricultural jobs. The H-2B visa program is used by businesses to bring in cheaper, foreign workers and has contributed to blue-collar Americans having their wages undercut.
As Breitbart News reported, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SC), and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) have cut a deal with the business lobby to allow businesses to import as many foreign workers — instead of hiring blue-collar Americans — so long as they meet certain requirements.
Though the deal has been billed as increasing the H-2B visa cap to 132,000 a year, businesses located in regions that have been hit by recent natural disasters would be allowed to hire as many foreign workers through the program as they want.
Additionally, businesses that hire H-2B foreign workers would be mandated to use E-Verify, the system that certifies a worker is not an illegal alien, for new hires. But, should the business find that they have hired illegal aliens, those workers can be readily replaced with H-2B foreign workers. This would not count against the 132,000 annual cap, just like the natural disaster exemption.
Rosemary Jenks with NumbersUSA — an organization that advocates for a national immigration policy in the interest of American workers — said she has “never seen” anything like this particular deal between lawmakers and their business donors for cheap, foreign labor.
“In 28 years of working in Washington, I have never seen congressional staffers sign an agreement with lobbying organizations to produce special-interest legislation that directly benefits those lobbying groups,” Jenks said. “I’m sure their constituents would love to hear them explain why they are so eager to help employers keep wages down for lower-skilled American workers.”
Republican lawmakers are looking to slip the more than doubling of the H-2B visa program into a last-second spending bill that is expected to be passed before the new year.
In total, there are roughly 1.5 million foreign workers in U.S. college-graduate jobs, plus at least 300,000 blue-collar or manual labor jobs. Meanwhile, there are five million Americans who are not in the labor force who want a job with more than 500,000 Americans saying they are discouraged by their job prospects.
Every year, America’s working and middle class have their wages reduced by an inflow of more than 1.5 million mostly low-skilled foreign workers who are admitted to the country. This importation of illegal and legal foreign workers has left the country’s bottom line of workers with stagnant wages since the 1970s and forces them to compete with foreign workers for blue-collar jobs.
A plan to massively expand the importation of low-skilled foreign workers to the United States would allow American businesses to hire an unlimited number of foreigners instead of American citizens.
Every year, the U.S. companies are allowed to import 66,000 low-skilled H-2B foreign workers to take blue-collar, non-agricultural jobs. The H-2B visa program is used by businesses to bring in cheaper, foreign workers and has contributed to blue-collar Americans having their wages undercut.
As Breitbart News reported, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SC), and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) have cut a deal with the business lobby to allow businesses to import as many foreign workers — instead of hiring blue-collar Americans — so long as they meet certain requirements.
Though the deal has been billed as increasing the H-2B visa cap to 132,000 a year, businesses located in regions that have been hit by recent natural disasters would be allowed to hire as many foreign workers through the program as they want.
Additionally, businesses that hire H-2B foreign workers would be mandated to use E-Verify, the system that certifies a worker is not an illegal alien, for new hires. But, should the business find that they have hired illegal aliens, those workers can be readily replaced with H-2B foreign workers. This would not count against the 132,000 annual cap, just like the natural disaster exemption.
Rosemary Jenks with NumbersUSA — an organization that advocates for a national immigration policy in the interest of American workers — said she has “never seen” anything like this particular deal between lawmakers and their business donors for cheap, foreign labor.
“In 28 years of working in Washington, I have never seen congressional staffers sign an agreement with lobbying organizations to produce special-interest legislation that directly benefits those lobbying groups,” Jenks said. “I’m sure their constituents would love to hear them explain why they are so eager to help employers keep wages down for lower-skilled American workers.”
Republican lawmakers are looking to slip the more than doubling of the H-2B visa program into a last-second spending bill that is expected to be passed before the new year.
In total, there are roughly 1.5 million foreign workers in U.S. college-graduate jobs, plus at least 300,000 blue-collar or manual labor jobs. Meanwhile, there are five million Americans who are not in the labor force who want a job with more than 500,000 Americans saying they are discouraged by their job prospects.
Every year, America’s working and middle class have their wages reduced by an inflow of more than 1.5 million mostly low-skilled foreign workers who are admitted to the country. This importation of illegal and legal foreign workers has left the country’s bottom line of workers with stagnant wages since the 1970s and forces them to compete with foreign workers for blue-collar jobs.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:35 am to BBONDS25
There is a great deal in society today that is both "legal" and "harmful".
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:44 am to Boatshoes
What happened to the restriction that required businesses to first prove they cannot find enough qualified US citizens to fill those jobs?
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:45 am to Boatshoes
quote:
There is a great deal in society today that is both "legal" and "harmful".
need to read more, but willing to be the reasoning is to go from undocumented (illegal) to documented (legal)
obviously their is an large number of undocumented workers in the US who are not paying taxes or being covered by workers comp, unemployment insurance, ant other payroll taxes and labor burden. the E-Verify requirement with replacement H-2B give the business owner a reason to follow the law.
Contrary to popular convention, we need immigrant workers to fill farm/construction/low end hospitality jobs. Especially seasonal labor
bringing them into legal status means they have to follow US laws in pay, putting the american work back to a level playing field.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:52 am to BBONDS25
quote:
So legal immigrants?
Trump ran on the slogan of Americans getting American jobs.
This is exactly the opposite. Big business knows how to big govt better than anyone.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 7:55 am to tigeraddict
quote:
Contrary to popular convention, we need immigrant workers to fill farm/construction/low end hospitality jobs. Especially seasonal labor
Employers want them because it’s cheaper than raising pay to recruit Americans.
They don’t need them.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:07 am to tigeraddict
Put salary floors in place for the STEM jobs and this is not an issue. The only issue with H-2B is they are hiring Indians for 50k when locals expect 80k for the work.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:07 am to Lima Whiskey
quote:
They don’t need them.
farming, construction, and hospitality cant fill positions without migrant labor
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:17 am to Boatshoes
we love our legal immigration don't we folks
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:18 am to tigeraddict
quote:
farming, construction, and hospitality cant fill positions without migrant labor
Three years my company hired 100% Americans for entry level positions, now it’s 98% foreign workers.
We had a choice between raising wages, to remain competitive and keep our team, or keep wages flat and take advantage of the foreign worker programs.
Upstairs went for foreign workers.
There are massive trade offs. Our Americans were better employees, they were more efficient, and the seasonal turn is hugely expensive for us.
The associated housing, transportation, and lawyer costs for the H2Bs are high as well.
I just don’t think it was worth it.
This post was edited on 11/29/18 at 8:21 am
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:20 am to Lima Whiskey
quote:
There are massive trade offs.
quote:
I just don’t think it was worth it.
if you're right, "upstairs" ought to pick up on it pretty quick
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:24 am to 90proofprofessional
quote:
if you're right, "upstairs" ought to pick up on it pretty quick
That’s not how things work in the real world.
It was a political decision, and people staked their jobs on it, so it will be successful.
The associated costs are also spread out between departments, and no one bill is ever assembled. It’s also difficult to do a comparative efficiency study, and they would not do one, because this policy “will save us money.” Even if it doesn’t.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:26 am to Boatshoes
A couple things stood out about this piece. First of all...
Second...
If you’re a discouraged worker in the US today, it says a lot more about you than about the economy.
Finally...
quote:bullshite. Even the most willfully blind DC observer would say this is claim is a crock of shite.
In 28 years of working in Washington, I have never seen congressional staffers sign an agreement with lobbying organizations to produce special-interest legislation that directly benefits those lobbying groups
Second...
quote:If those 500,000 could just produce clean piss, they’d have a job in a week. The fracking boom in particular has generated a ton of jobs that O&G consistently struggle to fill because they can’t find blue collar workers who can simply pass andrug test.
Meanwhile, there are five million Americans who are not in the labor force who want a job with more than 500,000 Americans saying they are discouraged by their job prospects.
If you’re a discouraged worker in the US today, it says a lot more about you than about the economy.
Finally...
quote:This is a dog shite policy.
the deal has been billed as increasing the H-2B visa cap to 132,000 a year
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:29 am to Lima Whiskey
quote:
costs are also spread out between departments, and no one bill is ever assembled. It’s also difficult to do a comparative efficiency study
sounds like your conclusion on its net cost is at least as spurious then, and you almost certainly have less information & less on the line than those who made the call
Posted on 11/29/18 at 8:34 am to saints5021
quote:You are confusing H2B (seasonal/agricultural) with H1B. H1B does have salary controls. The problem is companies like Disney fired a bunch of employees and replaced them with H1B’s BUT they reclassified the new hires to lower level positions which enabled them to pay lower salaries.
salary floors in place for the STEM jobs and this is not an issue. The only issue with H-2B is they are hiring Indians for 50k when locals expect 80k for the
Posted on 11/29/18 at 10:08 am to Boatshoes
I will take the side of the GOP on this. I’m not sure how it is nationwide, but I can attest that in MS and Alabama our catfish processing is being limited due to lack of labor. Due to the states strict laws on these programs we have trouble getting foreign labor.
Domestic labor is awful. At our plant that employs roughly 150 people, almost 1/3 don’t show each day. Our turnover is about 25 people per day on top of it. Very few work longer than a couple weeks. They come in work long enough to keep benefits then quit.
There is nothing we can do about it due to the low population of the area. If we had easier access to foreign labor and could guarantee a full workforce shows up 5 days a week we could process and sell 8-10 million dollars more fish each year.
And it would keep more farmers in business. Many independent farmers are struggling because the plants can’t process enough fish to keep them all going...all due to labor. We have the sales demand to do it. No labor to process the fish.
Domestic labor is awful. At our plant that employs roughly 150 people, almost 1/3 don’t show each day. Our turnover is about 25 people per day on top of it. Very few work longer than a couple weeks. They come in work long enough to keep benefits then quit.
There is nothing we can do about it due to the low population of the area. If we had easier access to foreign labor and could guarantee a full workforce shows up 5 days a week we could process and sell 8-10 million dollars more fish each year.
And it would keep more farmers in business. Many independent farmers are struggling because the plants can’t process enough fish to keep them all going...all due to labor. We have the sales demand to do it. No labor to process the fish.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 10:14 am to Lima Whiskey
quote:
Employers want them because it’s cheaper than raising pay to recruit Americans.
Not true. We tried raising pay to combat the problems I stated above.
None wanted the jobs because income would be too much and they’d lose entitlements.
Welfare is the major problem. Unless they fix that then foreign labor is only solution. But this is farm related type jobs in very low income areas. The problems in industrial areas are likely much different.
Posted on 11/29/18 at 10:31 am to tigeraddict
quote:
farming, construction, and hospitality cant fill positions without migrant labor
It specifically says non-agricultural.
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