Omnibus Spending Measure Provides H-2B Relief: Action Needed Today Email
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 02:00 AM

H-2B legislation update 

The following message comes from the H-2B Workforce Coalition:

Thanks to everyone’s continued engagement over the year, we have some good news to report. Late last night, Congress released the final omnibus spending bill for the remainder of fiscal 2016 and it includes important relief for H-2B employers. The House and Senate are expected to pass the measure in the next few days, and President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law. Lawmakers who fought for these provisions face an onslaught of criticism from anti-immigration and labor groups, so please take a few minutes to thank them for recognizing the importance of the H-2B program to seasonal employers.

The bill includes several beneficial H-2B provisions that will do the following:

  • Exempt H-2B returning workers from the 66,000 annual cap;
  • Address H-2B wages and allow the use of private wage surveys, which are not allowed under the new final H-2B wage rule;
  • Clearly define seasonal as ten months, as opposed to the nine months in the new interim final H-2B comprehensive rule;
  • Prevent DOL from implementing the provisions of the interim final rule related to corresponding employment and the ¾ guarantee; and
  • Prevent DOL from implementing the new and burdensome DOL enforcement scheme in the IFR related to audit and the Certifying Officer (CO) assisted recruitment. 

Please Act Today

1.     THANK YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS – Please call your Representative and two Senators and express support for H-2B provisions in the omnibus spending bill. If they have been supportive of the H-2B program, please thank them for working with their colleagues to address the H-2B program. You can reach your Member of Congress and two Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. Once connected to the office, please ask to speak to the staff person who handles H-2B issues. You can also find a list of Colorado Congressional representatives at this link .

2.      CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE ON SOCIAL MEDIA -- Please take a few minutes to thank key lawmakers on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. 

Tweet about the importance of the appropriations measure to your business using #saveH2B. Direct the tweets to your two Senators and your Member of Congress, as well as key lawmakers– Senators Cochran (R-MS), Mikulski (D-MD), Hoeven (R-ND), Shaheen (D-NH), Blunt (R-MO), Murray (D-WA), Cassidy (R-LA), Tillis (R-NC), Warner (D-VA) and Reps. Hal Rogers (R-KY), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Carter (R-TX), Roybal-Allard, Cole (R-OK), DeLauro (D-CT), Harris (R-MD), Goodlatte (R-VA), Chabot (R-OH), and Boustany (R-LA).

You can find the twitter address for your Senators and Representative at the links below.

https://twitter.com/gov/lists/us-senate/members

https://twitter.com/verified/lists/us-congress/members

Here are some sample tweets--simply add the Twitter names of your representatives to the beginning of the tweet:

  • Thanks for working to #saveH2B
  • Thanks for saving 2016 for seasonal employers #saveH2B
  • Thanks for ensuring that seasonal American and H-2B workers will have jobs in 2015  #saveH2B

Write your own personal message about what H-2B relief means to your business and workforce

If you don't have a Twitter account, you can set one up at https://twitter.com/signup.

3.     WRITE TO YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND SENATORS – Send a letter to your Representative and two Senators thanking them for supporting the H-2B provisions in the appropriations bill and explaining the importance of the legislation to your business and your workers.

Thanks for your continued outreach to help save the H-2B program.  Your calls, letters, emails and tweets have made a huge difference.

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