Digger magazine

Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • NG_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • FW_banner-2021-728x90px-1.jpg
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
    • Meta
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • Pivot Points
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
You are here: Home / Changes concern landscapers using guest worker program

Changes concern landscapers using guest worker program

By Curt Kipp — Posted August 31, 2011

Landscapers who have trouble finding qualified and willing workers have been able to fall back on the H-2B non-agricultural guest worker visa program to fill their needs. Starting on Sept. 30, however, that could become a whole lot more difficult.

H-2B employers have always been subject to certain rules requiring them to search for non-immigrant workers first, and pay the workers a prevailing wage as determined by a scale. The U.S. Department of Labor, however, has announced changes that would result in these costs going up. According to the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA), landscapers using H-2B should expect to pay an additional $3.60 in hourly wages to these workers.

The ANLA, as well as the Professional Landscare Network (PLANET) are further concerned that this could drive up wages for other landscape employees as well, even if they don’t have the same qualifications. This is why the ANLA, PLANET and other organizations are hoping to block the new rules before they take effect. PLANET recently circulated a letter asking for contributions to fund a lawsuit against the rules.

According to Craig Regelbrugge of the ANLA, there’s another proposed U.S. Department of Labor rule that would go even further, requiring H-2B employers to hire any qualified U.S. worker for the job for up to three days before the H-2B worker is scheduled to begin. This would be required even after the employer has sought and failed to find U.S. workers, identified a H-2B worker, gone through the process, and paid for transportation, housing and other fees. The ANLA is looking at options with regard to this rule, as well.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Politics, Workforce

Avatar

About Curt Kipp

Curt Kipp is the director of publications and communications at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and the editor of Digger magazine.

Nursery Guide LIVE

Nursery Guide LIVE clicks into place

Booth spaces still available for Nursery Guide LIVE March 17–18

Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace postponed due to winter storm damage

Keynote presentations at Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace provide insight on green industry trends in 2021 and beyond

More Posts from this Category

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Virtual is the new reality – for now

Trade shows in the time of COVID

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

Western Nursery & Landscape Association falls victim to pandemic

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

More articles

NURSERY NEWS

USDA-NRCS Annual Report available for download

Two online lecture series available from AmericanHort

tHRIve webinar explores marketing by plant benefits

Suicide prevention program focuses on ag community

SBA disaster loans available for five drought-stricken Oregon counties

More Nursery News

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

People’s Choice Award winners announced for the 2020 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Augmented reality app allows New Varieties Showcase voting

Farwest Show launches virtual contest to crown 2020 New Varieties Showcase winners

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

Growing with the industry: Farwest memories

More Updates from Farwest

From the pages of Digger

April 2021 – The Greenhouse Issue

March 2020

February 2021

January 2021 – Nursery Country

December 2020

More issues of Digger

Connect with us online

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
​

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations
  • Meta

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • Pivot Points
  • President’s Message

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© Copyright 2020 Oregon Association of Nurseries · Admin