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co.mments
HRES 1025 IH
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1843) to extend the termination date for the exemption of returning workers from numerical limitations for temporary workers.
March 6, 2008
Mr. BOUSTANY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1843) to extend the termination date for the exemption of returning workers from numerical limitations for temporary workers.
Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution the House shall immediately proceed to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 1843) to extend the termination date for the exemption of returning workers from numerical limitations for temporary workers. All points of order against the bill and against its consideration are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary; and (2) one motion to recommit.
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This is a very needed bill. It should be passed ASAP in order to insure that USA businesses are able to provide services and perform daily duties. The economy is hurting and the lack of laborers is just adding to the misery for businesses who cannot find legal workers without the H2B Program.
H-2B is what this country needs. Employers who use this program MUST pay prevailing wages, this eliminates the potential of lowering wages for American workers.
Employers MUST offer the jobs to American workers first. This is accomplished by U.S. Department of Labor supervised help wanted advertisements and recruitment through state employment agencies.
The H-2B visa holders MUST return to their home countries when the job is finished, and they do, as they must show that they have substancial ties to their home countries before the state department will issue them the visas.
Felons and illegal entrants are NOT allowed to receive H-2B visas.
Basically only the best of the best are allowed to get H-2B work visas.
looks like they put off dealing with this again. Today is the last day and then they are on vacation. Correct me if I am wrong but didn’t they just get back from a long vacation on January the 15th? Must be nice.
Do these people not understand that with out this bill businesses will be forced to close. I guess a better question is do they even care? I think that answer is obvious do to their refusal to address this issue.
The company I work for uses people from South Africa to fill positions during our busy season in the summer. If this bill doesn't pass we can not get our staff back and as a result will be forced to close up shop. I am on the verge of being with out a job for the first time in 20 years. Also the rest of our full time American staff will be out of a job as well.
I challenge any critic of this program to find us 25 qualified people to fill these positions. The fact is they are not out there. If they were we would hire them in a heart beat. We deal with children and the fact is that these very nice polite young men and women who come here to work for six months work very hard. They are the best thing that has happened not only to our company but to the Amusement industry as a whole. I wonder what will people think when places like Disney, Great America and other large amusement parks are forced to hire people with questionable background to operate their equipment? Yes that’s right each one of these very large operations count on this program to staff their businesses. They have deep pockets so I would be willing to bet they made the cap.
I would really like a good explanation as to why they have not acted on this issue. They blame each other when I call to talk to them about this bill. The republicans blame the democrats and the democrats blame the republicans but the truth is they both have lost sight of just who it is they work for. We pay these peoples salary it's time we demand results. I think we need to clean house and vote each one of these people out of office. They have all become way to comfortable in their positions. As you can tell I am very angry about this situation but can you blame me. I am really fed up with all of this and I am going to do a lot of research before placing one vote this year.
Balderdash!
The H2B program is a complete scam.
I will gladly accept Anon. 14 March's challenge if applications from Americans will be considered closer to the start of our summer season (5 June) than the required
DOL advertising, for 3 days, run 17 February.
Yes, we have proven to the U.S. Government that, after advertising in the local small town paper for 3 days that no
Americans are interested in applying for a job that is not scheduled to begin for 3 1/2 months.
And the job categories advertised- failing response by Americans to positions as Hotel Clerks, we then use the H2Bs
in Accounting, Pool Attendant, Salon Receptionist, Nail Tech.
We also advertise the wage at $1.50 per hour less than what we actuall pay.
Dining Room Worker- H2Bs used as Bartenders, Cocktailers, Waitstaff.
American university students apply in droves for the above positions, but too bad for them, those positions have been filled (17 February) by H2Bs who have been presented to the U.S. Government as dishwashers, bussers, hhousekeepers, etc.
Cooks- odd that so many Americans are going to culinary schools and then applying for jobs but U.S. employers would rather go as far afield as Indonesia, Brazil, Nepal.
It is against U.S. LAW!! for H2Bs to work second jobs.
Our H2Bs all work second jobs in town- while not felons,
it is more than insulting to witness their contempt for the law on a daily basis.
"H2Bs" all return home.
Again, balderdash.
Come to small town Idaho, I will be glad to point out, in one afternoon, at least 40 Peruvians, Brazilians, Romanians who found it too much of a burden to return to their home country for 6 weeks between our seasons to have their H2B
visa re-issued.
Instead they are living and working here in violation of the
law.
If your respons to that is "they are hard working people
seeking a better life" then you have just admitted that
the H2B program is in fact an immigration program.
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS MISUNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF SEASONAL WORK. It is temporary with minimum wage and does not usually lead to a full-time position with benefits. Sometimes the physical, location and schedule demands also make it a poor fit for an American citizen. At best it is supplemental income for a family or individual. If it works for an individual/family that is great but seasonal work cannot be made into something it is not. Many college students take summer classes now or internship jobs in their field of study; they may not be available for the complete season; most college students are not attracted to cleaning hotels, washing laundry or dishes or some of the even more physically demanding jobs of lawn work, stable cleaning, cutting stone or clearing forests, etc.
I don't know where you work but no business is going to actively only seek H2B workers Yes they may advertise in the winter but that is the law you have to do this in order to show the need to the Department of Labor. You complain about this but the fact is a business needs to know what their labor force is going to be in order to be able to properly handle their busy season. These jobs are not for the most part something your average person would be interested in simply because it is a short term position with none of the benefits that a full time position would offer.
It costs a lot of money to use foreign workers. It is only used as a last resort in order to keep the business going. We spent well over 30K last year in airfares and fees for just 15 workers. If we could find American workers who have a clean criminal record (state law requires this for our type of business), can pass a drug test, and will work weekends we would hire them first no question. The problem is that seasonal positions have historically been filled by college students and as stated above most college students are now using their summers for internships or additional classes.
As far as your claim that they don't go home that is for the most part false. Does it happen sure but it is not the norm and is much more common among J1 Visa holders. Each one of our people had to put up a very large bond to come here. If they didn't return and on time they forfeit that bond. In our peoples case most of their parents put up their homes as collateral. Each one of our people went home on time and couldn't wait to do so. If there are people that you know for sure that are here in violation of US law you should report them period.
You claim that they are working second jobs. That may be the case but did you ever consider that those people your talking about could be here on a J1 Visa and not an H2B Visa? There is a huge difference between the two. The H2B Visa has a lot of stringent rules and regulations where as the J1 is student travel work visa with far less stringent regulations. I don’t know if that is the case here or not just tossing it out there.
It is obvious to me that you are against the program. I ask you, what is your solution to the problem? It is very easy to criticize this program but much harder to come up with a viable solution to the problem all seasonal businesses face. Many people much smarter then I have tried . They all utilize this program to keep their businesses going. Who knows maybe your even smarter then they are so here is an offer to you. Our company is willing to pay the same amount of money we spent last year to anyone who can find us 25 people who are here legally, clean cut, drug free, have a clean criminal background, can work out doors in all types of weather, must be able to lift up to a 50lbs, willing to work weekends, travel required and work for the full 26 weeks of our season this summer. The pay is net $300 a week after taxes plus a bonus at the end of the 26 weeks. These are all entry level positions no experience is required. We will train anyone with a good attitude. So there it is my friend I would like you to fill all 25 positions immediately and they need to be ready to start April 29th.
my boyfriend have he work visa for about 10 years ,and this time it is taking a very long time ,and i am here pregnant getting ready to have it in may,and i have a 5 year old by him also why is it taking so long this is not fair at all because he always go back when it is time to go.
my boyfriend have his work visa for about 10 years ,and this time it is taking a very long time ,and i am here pregnant getting ready to have it in may,and i have a 5 year old by him also why is it taking so long this is not fair at all because he always go back when it is time to go.
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