Farmworkers fight foreign labor changes

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-farmworkers_10int.ART.State.Edition1.3762209.html

Recruitment rules under fire; Labor says proper notice given

08:00 AM CST on Thursday, January 10, 2008

By DAVID McLEMORE / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

A coalition of farmworker organizations has filed a formal protest with the Department of Labor over an administrative change in the guest worker law that they say in essence allows agricultural employers to hire foreign labor without first ensuring U.S. workers have a shot at the job.

Farmworker Justice, a Washington-based labor advocacy group, in a letter signed by a dozen farmworker organizations, urged Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to rescind changes in the H-2A temporary agriculture worker program made quietly in November in an administrative memo sent to employers.

The changes in the H-2A program weaken legal protections for U.S. workers, by easing requirements that employers actively advertise agricultural jobs for U.S. workers before seeking foreigners, the groups say.

"If a grower can get foreign workers for a job in one area which is short of labor, with these changes he can move them to another job without advertising it to U.S. workers," said Javier Riojas of the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid.

"We feel that DOL not only illegally changed H-2A by weakening legal protections for farmworker recruitment and housing," Mr. Riojas said. "But the way in which the changes were made are illegal too, since they were made via an administrative memo rather than publishing in the Federal Register and get public input."

Officials at the Department of Labor said they would have no comment at this time, but noted that the change was made three months ago and that proper notice was given.

FULL story at link.