Hiring rules for farms challenged

 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS    Comment on this article Leave a comment
Published: September 4, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department is trying again to roll back Bush administration regulations that made it easier for farmers to hire temporary foreign farm workers.

Advertisement


Market Watch



The agency Thursday said it is proposing new rules that would boost wages and increase safeguards for thousands of seasonal workers brought in each year to help farmers pick their crops. It also would require that growers make greater efforts to fill those jobs with American workers.

If the rules are adopted, they largely will reverse regulations finalized shortly before President George W. Bush left office and return to a framework that had been in effect since 1987.

Labor and immigrant rights groups claim the Bush regulations would slash farm wages and make it harder for domestic workers to get those jobs.

The Labor Department briefly suspended the rules earlier this year, but were forced to reinstate them after farm groups successfully challenged the decision in federal court.

"Every worker deserves to be treated and paid fairly,” Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said. "That is especially true of agricultural workers, who often perform backbreaking work for very low wages.”

Solis said the new rules would let the Labor Department take a more active role in protecting farm workers from mistreatment and keeping domestic workers from being unfairly displaced.

Farm growers say the changes to the H-2A guest worker program will make it more cumbersome and expensive for them to hire foreign workers for tough field jobs that most Americans don’t want.







Leave a Comment

Thank you for joining our conversation on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy. Please help by flagging comments that violate these guidelines. Posts that contain obscene or vulgar language will be immediately flagged and not posted.

If you prefer your thoughts to appear in The Oklahoman, we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor.

Would you like to leave a comment?

Log in or sign up (it's free).

comments powered by Disqus


Money Market Rates
Get The Best Money Market Rates With Exclusive Online Offers.
firstcountybank.com
Total Hedge Fund Services
Accounting, admin, tax, marketing, website, start up & more.
www.completehedge.com

Business Photo Galleriesview all