Businesses Face Cut in Immigrant Work Force

[flashl]

Source: NY Times

In an effort to win support for a comprehensive immigration overhaul, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and its allies have blocked voting on legislation that would allow employers to rehire foreign seasonal nonagricultural workers independent of a 1991 quota.

As a result, the government is limited to issuing the 66,000 seasonal work visas set when the visa program, known as H-2B, became law — 33,000 for winter workers and 33,000 for summer workers. Last year, more than 120,000 foreign workers entered the country on H-2B visas.

...

“It’s just ruthless for the Hispanic caucus to do this, use it as a bargaining chip,” said Mr. Zammer, whose foreign workers — mostly from Jamaica and Eastern Europe — normally make up 25 percent of his staff. “We’re working at finding new people. We have to. But it’s extremely difficult, because you end up stealing from other people who are also trying to get help.”

...

Employers say that unless Congress acts soon, they will have to scale back operations, because the labor pool in many resort areas is not deep enough to provide new workers, and many people do not want seasonal jobs.

NY Times

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/14visa.html?hp

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Businesses looking for workers as Americans lose jobs?

[fed-up]

1. 1/5 ski resort workers come from overseas---1/3 of Squaw Valley's staff has H2-B visas

Boyfriend says resorts are paying crap wages to certified ski instructors compared to what they were paid 20 years ago when he was head of Ski Patrol at Mammoth
haven't talked to my nephew to see if he looked for or got a job after paying big bucks to become a certified ski instructor last year
funny thing is the workers they are bringing in can't afford the housing either

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/2008_Jan_12/k.SAR.1200331450.html
An uphill battle at ski resorts: Growing obstacles threaten reliance on foreign workers. (The Sacramento Bee, Calif.)

By M.S. Enkoji, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
Jan. 12--LAKE TAHOE

As a result, as many as one out of every five ski resort workers in California now comes from overseas.

Of the 10,000 seasonal workers hired by California and Nevada ski resorts each year, 2,000 typically are lured from foreign shores. Most of those work in the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth regions, according to the California Ski Industry Association.

"None of us knew it was going to happen," said Roske, who handles workers' applications for Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe's north shore. The resort hired 118 workers with H2-B visas -- about a third of the staff -- from 11 countries this season; the hires were made just days before the federal cap on such applications was reached in September.

Poelsma is living with three others near the resort in a two-bedroom apartment with one bathroom.

[durablend]

2. Why would they want to come over

When they can't afford to live on what they're being paid?

Seems like just 2 + 2 to me, but I have a brain unlike some of these businesses...

[AlCzervik]

4. probably because they want to come to America. Same reason we go to Europe.

[denverbill]

3. Hmm. Now HOW could they attract workers? Hmm.

I know the law of supply and demand only works one way in his mind, but if he raises wages enough, he'll soon have an abundance of applicants.