EPI applauds new Labor Department immigration rules that protect U.S. and foreign workers

[ProSense]

EPI applauds new Labor Department immigration rules that protect U.S. and foreign workers

By Ross Eisenbrey and Daniel Costa

Today the U.S. Department of Labor released a set of comprehensive regulations that will govern foreign labor certification in the H-2B guest worker program. We strongly support the new regulations and commend Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the Department of Labor and the Obama Administration for acting to protect the interests of unemployed U.S. workers and H-2B guest workers. The rules are an important measure that will help fix a program in which instances of abuse, fraud and exploitation have been common, as revealed by government reports and investigations, as well as media coverage.

“The updated H-2B program will help put unemployed U.S. workers back to work by requiring employers to do more to recruit them before the department approves requests for foreign workers. The rules will also protect foreign H-2B workers from exploitation in the recruitment process by banning foreign labor recruiters from charging certain fees and requiring employers to pay visa and travel costs.

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“In May of last year, we submitted detailed public comments to the Labor Department in support of the new rules. Hundreds of other organizations and individuals submitted public comments, and the department has carefully and meticulously reviewed them. The department’s lengthy analysis, released today in conjunction with the rule, does an excellent job of considering and addressing the concerns of employers and worker advocates. The final rule strikes a fair and appropriate balance between the concerns of all stakeholders involved in the H-2B program.”

The following are some of the most important elements of the H-2B rules:

• Employers will be required to provide U.S. workers in similar positions at least the same wages and benefits provided to H-2B workers, including transportation costs.
  
  
• An online H-2B job registry for U.S. jobseekers will be created.
  
  
• U.S. and foreign workers will be protected from retaliation for engaging in concerted activity.
  
  
• Employers will be required to guarantee workers a total number of work hours equal to at least three-fourths of the workdays in each 12-week period.
  
  
• Employers will be required to keep records documenting their recruitment of U.S. workers and to accept referrals of unemployed workers from state workforce agencies.

http://www.epi.org/publication/epi-applauds-labor-department-immigration/

[ProSense]

1. Kick! n/t

[pampango]

2. Nice. EPI: We strongly support the new regulations and commend...the Obama Administration

for acting to protect the interests of unemployed U.S. workers and H-2B guest workers."

"The updated H-2B program will help put unemployed U.S. workers back to work by requiring employers to do more to recruit them before the department approves requests for foreign workers. The rules will also protect foreign H-2B workers from exploitation in the recruitment process by banning foreign labor recruiters from charging certain fees and requiring employers to pay visa and travel costs."

Nice to see the administration take action to make the program work better. Rather than just score political points by blaming companies or foreign workers, they take concrete action to make the whole program work better.

[ProSense]

3. This

has been completely ignored by everyone, including the media.

[HiPointDem]

4. +1 except it failed. 5 democratic senators voted against it in committee.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/13394/senate_democrats_block_funding_for_guest_worker_protection_rule/