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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTION 23-1500RESOLUTION#23-15SUPPORTINGANINCREASEINH-2BVISASWHEREAS,theH-2BtemporaryworkerprogrampermitsemployerstohirenonimmigrantstoperformnonagriculturallabororservicesintheUnitedStatesforalimitedperiodoftimesuchasaone-timeoccurrence,seasonalneed,peak-loadneedorintermittentneed;andWHEREAS,theH-2BtemporaryworkerprogramusesprevailingwageandprivatewagesurveystohelpensurethatH-2BandAmericanworkersarereceivingthemostcompetitivewagefortheiroccupationalclassification;andWHEREAS,importantseasonalindustriessuchasseasonaltourismbusinesseslocatedinEstesParkandaroundthecountrydependontheH-2BtemporaryworkerprogramtosupplementtheirAmericanworkforceandoperatetheirbusinesseswhenAmericanworkersareunavailable;andWHEREAS,recentactionstakenbytheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityandtheDepartmentofLaborincludingasuspensionoftheH-2Btemporaryworkerprogram,alackoftransparencybytheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityregardingtheavailabilityofH-2Bvisas,andlongdelaysintheDepartmentofLabor’scertificationprocess,havethreatenedtoputtheseseasonalindustriesoutofbusiness;andWHEREAS,seasonalbusinessesthatrelyonH-2Bworkerstohelpmeetshort-termpeakdemandwillnotbeabletocontinuetooperateifstabilityisnotrestoredtotheprogramwhilealong-termsolutiontostreamlineandbringtransparencytotheH-2Btemporaryworkerprogramisdeveloped;andWHEREAS,asfundinglevelsforfiscalyear(FY)2016aredebated,CongressisencouragedtopreserveH-2BlanguagethatiscurrentlycontainedincertainHouseandSenateAppropriationsbillsinanyFY2016conferencereportoromnibusappropriationslegislation.Supportisgivenformaintainingthefollowingprovisions:S.1695—DepartmentofLabor,HealthandHumanServicesAppropriationsActPrevailingWageandUseofPrivateWageSurveys...StaggeredCrossingsforH-2BWorkers...RelieffromBurdensomeDepartmentofLaborRegulations...S.1619—DepartmentofHomelandSecurityAppropriationsActH-2BProgramTransparency...HR.3128—DepartmentofHomelandSecurityAppropriationsActReturningWorkersExemption...NOWTHEREFOREBEITRESOLVEDBYTHEBOARDOFTRUSTEESOFTHETOWNOFESTESPARKtoherebysupporttheH-2Btemporaryworkerprogramandthe 00retentionofprovisionsoftheprogramthatwillbenefitseasonalbusinessesinEstesParkthatrelyonH-2Btemporaryworkersforthesuccessoftheirbusinesses.DATEDthis______dayofATTEST:flOU2MbZ(2015.TcjnClerkr 00Qtnngreszoftljelanitebtate%Taaljiugtun,Oata0515November9,2015TheHonorableThadCochranTheHonorableBarbaraMikuiskiChairmanViceChairwomanSenateCommitteeonAppropriationsSenateCommitteeonAppropriationsRoomS128,TheCapitolRoomS14bA,TheCapitolWashington.DC20510Washington,DC20510TheHonorableHalRodgersTheHonorableNitaLoweyChairmanRankingMemberHouseCommitteeonAppropriationsHouseCommitteeonAppropriationsRoomH305,TheCapitol1016LongworthHouseOfficeBuildingWashington,DC20510Washington,DC20515DearChairmanCochran,ViceChairwomanMikuiski,ChairmanRodgers,andBankingMemberLowey:AsCongresscontinuestodebatefundinglevelsforfiscalyear(FY)2016,wearewritingtoencourageyoutopreservecertainprovisionsregardingtheH-28temporaryworkerprograminanyconferencereportoromnibusappropriationslegislationconsidered.Asyoumayknow,keyindustriesdependontheH-2BtemporaryworkerprogramtosupplementtheirexistingAmericanworldorceandoperatetheirbusinesseswhenAmericanworkersareunavailable.However,thispastyearhasbeenespeciallychallengingfortheseseasonalindustries,asseveralrecentactionstakenbyboththeDepartmentofHomelandSecurityandtheDepartmentofLaborhavethreatenedtoputthemoutofbusiness.Duringthepastseveralmonths,seasonalbusinesseshavehadtoendureasuspensionoftheH-fltemporaryworkerprogram,lackoftransparencybytheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityregardingtheavailabilityofH-2Bvisas,andinexcusablylongdelaysintheDepartmentofLabor’scertificationprocess.Theseavoidableproblemshavebeenfurthercompoundedasseasonalindustriespreparefor2016.Nowmostrecently,theFinalRulejointlyissuedbytheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityandtheDepartmentofLaborhasmadetheH-2Bpetitionprocessevenmorecumbersome.SeasonalbusinessesrelyonH-2Bworkerstohelpmeetshort-termpeakdemand.Theywillnotbeabletocontinuetooperateifwedonotrestoresomestabilitywhilewecontinuetolookforalong-termsolutionthatwillstreamlineandbringtransparencytotheH-fltemporaryworkerprogram.ThatiswhyitIsparamountthatwepreserveH-2BlanguagecurrentlycontainedincertainHouseandSenateAppropriationsbillsinanyFY2016conferencereportoromnibusappropriationslegislationwevoteon.Specifically,werespeetfiulyrequestthatyoumaintainthefollowingprovisions:PR.NTEVONRECYCLE1PAPER 00S.1695,DepartmentofLabor,HealthandHumanServicesAppropriationsActPrevailingWageandUseofPrivateWageSurveysEstablisheshowprevailingwageisdeterminedbyallowingfortheuseofprivatewagesurveys.ThishelpsensurethatbothH-2BandAmericanworkersarereceivingthemostcompetitivewagefortheiroccupationalclassification.IfanImproperdeterminationismade,theperverseeffectoftheprevailingwagepolicy—intendedtoprotectAmericanworkersfrombeingdisplacedbylowerwageH-2Bworkers—wouldbetoproducetheterribleoutcomewhereAmericanworkerswouldbepaidlessinthelocallabormarketwhilethesameemployerswouldbeforcedtopayhigherwagestothesamemisclassifiedH-28worker.StaggeredCrossingsfor11-28WorkersProvidesH-2BemployersflexibilitybyallowingthemtostaggertheentryoftheirH2Bworkersoveracertaintimeperiod.Thisallowsemployerstobetteraligntheirworkforceneedswithtimesofpeakdemand,ratherthanbringingallH-2Bworkersintothecountryatonce,evenwhentheyarenotallneededatthesametime.RelieffromBurdensomeDepartmentofLaborRegulationsProhibitsDOLimplementationofthe“3/4thguarantee,”andclarifiesdefinitionsfor“ftilFtime”workweekand“temporaryneed.”ThismakescertainthatemployersarepayingtheappropriatewagesfortheworkbeingcompletedbyH-flemployees.5.1619,theDepartmentofHomelandSecurityAppropriationsActH-28ProgramTransparencyBringstransparencytotheH-2BpetitionprocessbyrequiringastudyofthemethodologyusedtodetermineiftheH-2BcapismetThisrequirestheDepartmentofHomelandSecuritytoimprovethepetitionprocessbyadoptingamethodologythatmakessurethatthenumberofH-flpetitionsapprovedalignswithnumberofH-2Bvisasthatareissued.Hit3128,theDepartmentofHomelandSecurityAppropriationsActReturningWorkerExemptionAllowsforaone-yearexemptionfromthestatutorycapforH-2BworkerswhopreviouslyworkedintheU.S.inoneofthethreepreviousfiscalyears.ThisprovidesemployerscertaintythattheywillbeabletosupplementtheirexistingAmericanworkforceforcetomeettheirindustry’sdemands.Italsoallowsemployerstorelyontrustedrepeatworkerswhorepresentthelowestbusinessandnationalsecurityrisk.ReliefforseasonalbusinessesthatusetheH-fltemporaryworkerprogramisneededurgently.IfH-2BprovisionsarenotincludedasapartofanFY2016conferencereportoromnibusspendingbill,itispossiblethatthebusinessesthatrelyonthisprogramwillhavetoclosetheirdoors.ThankyouforyourconsiderationandweareeagertoworkwithyouasyourcommitteefinalizesspendingmeasuresforFT2016.Sincerely, (ewprU.S.SenatorAndyHams,M.D.U.S.CongressmanMarkR.WarnerU.S.SenatorBenjaminCardinU.S.SenatorSusanCollinsU.S.SenatorCharles‘.Boustany,JrML).U.SConsmanU.S.CongressmanZc.CaLeonaiLanceU.S.CongressmanFrankGuintaU.S.CongressmanV-±(?ouwL_DavidRouzerU.S.CongressmanCC:TheHonorableJohnHoeven,Chairman,U.S.SenateCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonHomelandSecurityTheHonorableJeanneShaheen,RankingMember,U.S.SenateCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonHomelandSecurityTheHonorableRoyBlunt,Chairman,U.S.SenateCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonLabor,HealthandHumanServices,Education,andRelatedAgencies0ThomThusU.S.CJohnComynU.S.SenatorU.S.CongressmanrAW4-GarretGravesU.S.Congressman CaTheHonorablePattyMurray,RankingMember,U.S.SenateCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonLabor,HealthandHumanServices,Education,andRelatedAgenciesTheHonorableJohnCarter,Chairman,U.S.HouseofRepresentativesCommitteeonAppropriations.SubcommitteeonHomelandSecurityTheHonorableLucilleRoybal-Mlard,RankingMember,U.S.HouseofRepresentativesCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonHomelandSecurityTheHonorableTomCole,Chainnan,U.S.HouseofRepresentativesCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonLabor,HealthandHumanServices,Education,andRelatedAgenciesTheHonorableRosaDeLauro,RankingMember,U.S.HouseofRepresentativesCommitteeonAppropriations,SubcommitteeonLabor,HealthandHumanServices,Education,andRelatedAgencies