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| Directions l American Farm Bureau l Farm Bureau Bank l Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Help l Site Map |
The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
| Directions l American Farm Bureau l Farm Bureau Bank l Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Help l Site Map |
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture
NEW ORLEANS-- Legislative obstacles could block the future of America's H-2A program that governs
foreign workers and could put American farmers at a competitive disadvantage.
During the Environmental and Labor Conference held during the 87th Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau
Federation convention here Friday, Lee Wicker, vice president of the North Carolina Growers Association,
told a group of Louisiana farmers his association and others have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Secretary of
Labor Hilda Solis in federal court in Greensboro, N.C., seeking an injunction to overturn her suspension of
the Bush-Chao changes to the H-2A guest worker program. These regulations, adopted by the Bush
administration, govern wages and recruitment of immigrant guest workers for agriculture.
"We must have a viable guest worker program for agriculture," Wicker said. "The H-2A program allows
agribusinesses to temporarily hire foreign workers for the dirty and difficult field jobs it can't fill with U.S.
workers. We need these foreign workers to work on American farms so that we don't have to import our
food as we do our oil."
Wicker said America needs to keep its food production at home, adding, "we've seen what our
dependence on foreign oil has done to our economy. Food, like oil, is a matter of national security."
The H-2A program allows U.S. employers to sponsor non-U.S. citizens as laborers for three years. If the
workers do not have green cards after three years, they are deported.
Changes made to the program by the Bush administration to entice farmers to use the program include
changing the method wages are calculated to make them more competitive. It also lessens the
requirement that growers show they made a good-faith effort to recruit U.S. workers, and eliminates
duplicate paperwork between state and federal agencies in processing applications.
"Organized labor and its supporters don't like these changes," Wicker said. "They don't like it because it
allows for competition. Employers need the flexibility that hiring foreign workers provides."
A decision on the suit is expected to come soon, Wicker said.
Other issues addressed during the conference included the need for a Transportation Worker Identification
Credential or TWIC card for anyone going into unescorted areas of maritime facilities. These cards will be
used for visual identity checks. H-2A and H-2B workers are not eligible for the card, said Brian Breaux,
associate commodity director for the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
"Anyone going through the gates at one of the ports will need a TWIC card," Breaux said. "H-2A and H-2B
workers are not eligible for the card, so they cannot enter a port facility. They can't drive a truck loaded with
produce or animals in a port facility. This could cause problems by farmers and ranchers not having
enough drivers who have TWIC cards."
Breaux said he expects to see some form of legislation regarding an exemption of this requirement
coming within the next 18 months.
Also during the conference, Maurice Wolcott of the LSU AgCenter spoke about storm surges and the
potential risk for coastal parishes. He compared recent hurricanes to Hurricanes Betsy and Camille, which
occurred in the 1960s, and caused similar storm surges and flooding.
"History seems to be repeating itself," Wolcott said. "We're seeing the same types of storms hitting our
state. We can survive these hurricanes if we do what we need to, which includes changing our attitudes
about how we build in coastal areas."
foreign workers and could put American farmers at a competitive disadvantage.
During the Environmental and Labor Conference held during the 87th Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau
Federation convention here Friday, Lee Wicker, vice president of the North Carolina Growers Association,
told a group of Louisiana farmers his association and others have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Secretary of
Labor Hilda Solis in federal court in Greensboro, N.C., seeking an injunction to overturn her suspension of
the Bush-Chao changes to the H-2A guest worker program. These regulations, adopted by the Bush
administration, govern wages and recruitment of immigrant guest workers for agriculture.
"We must have a viable guest worker program for agriculture," Wicker said. "The H-2A program allows
agribusinesses to temporarily hire foreign workers for the dirty and difficult field jobs it can't fill with U.S.
workers. We need these foreign workers to work on American farms so that we don't have to import our
food as we do our oil."
Wicker said America needs to keep its food production at home, adding, "we've seen what our
dependence on foreign oil has done to our economy. Food, like oil, is a matter of national security."
The H-2A program allows U.S. employers to sponsor non-U.S. citizens as laborers for three years. If the
workers do not have green cards after three years, they are deported.
Changes made to the program by the Bush administration to entice farmers to use the program include
changing the method wages are calculated to make them more competitive. It also lessens the
requirement that growers show they made a good-faith effort to recruit U.S. workers, and eliminates
duplicate paperwork between state and federal agencies in processing applications.
"Organized labor and its supporters don't like these changes," Wicker said. "They don't like it because it
allows for competition. Employers need the flexibility that hiring foreign workers provides."
A decision on the suit is expected to come soon, Wicker said.
Other issues addressed during the conference included the need for a Transportation Worker Identification
Credential or TWIC card for anyone going into unescorted areas of maritime facilities. These cards will be
used for visual identity checks. H-2A and H-2B workers are not eligible for the card, said Brian Breaux,
associate commodity director for the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
"Anyone going through the gates at one of the ports will need a TWIC card," Breaux said. "H-2A and H-2B
workers are not eligible for the card, so they cannot enter a port facility. They can't drive a truck loaded with
produce or animals in a port facility. This could cause problems by farmers and ranchers not having
enough drivers who have TWIC cards."
Breaux said he expects to see some form of legislation regarding an exemption of this requirement
coming within the next 18 months.
Also during the conference, Maurice Wolcott of the LSU AgCenter spoke about storm surges and the
potential risk for coastal parishes. He compared recent hurricanes to Hurricanes Betsy and Camille, which
occurred in the 1960s, and caused similar storm surges and flooding.
"History seems to be repeating itself," Wolcott said. "We're seeing the same types of storms hitting our
state. We can survive these hurricanes if we do what we need to, which includes changing our attitudes
about how we build in coastal areas."
North Carolina Labor Specialist Says Improved
Guest Worker Program Essential To Farmers
Guest Worker Program Essential To Farmers
By A. DENISE ATTAWAY
FB News Staff Writer
FB News Staff Writer
