03/21/2008
NFIB members discuss H-2B visa shortage with lawmakers
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Left to right: Stuart Deihl (Pride of Virginia Bait & Oyster), A.J. Erskine (Bevans Oyster Company), Congresswoman Thelma Drake (VA-02) and Margaret Ransone (Bevans Oyster Company). |
NFIB was on Capitol Hill recently to discuss the negative impact an H-2B visa shortage will have on small business. Several NFIB/Virginia members met with lawmakers in the House and Senate to remind them of the problems faced by small businesses that depend on seasonal workers.
When no Americans are available to work temporary seasonal jobs, the H-2B visa program provides employers with access to temporary international workers. The 66,000-worker cap on this program has been exempted twice by Congress to meet the seasonal demand, but the latest exemption expired last September. The current cap was met on Jan. 2, 2008, preventing small business owners with busy summer seasons from obtaining the workers they need to keep their business running.
"This is not about immigration, this is about American jobs and the economy," said NFIB member A.J. Erskine of Bevans Oyster Company in Lottsburg, Va. "Without these seasonal workers, we can't do production. Without production, we don't have a reason to operate, which means all the full-time American workers lose their jobs as well. We need Congress to understand this negative ripple effect on the economy," he added.
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Congressman Charles Boustany (LA-07) talks with A.J. Erskine (Bevans Oyster Company). |
NFIB has urged Congress on several occasions to provide immediate H-2B relief, as many small business owners depend on seasonal workers. NFIB supports S. 988, which would exempt returning H-2B workers from counting toward the overall cap for five years, and H.R. 1843, which would exempt returning workers permanently.
Exempting returning H-2B workers is critical for seasonal small businesses for several reasons, including:
- Permitting temporary, seasonal employees to return to their previous employers would reduce the costly burden of having to retrain new workers.
- Due to overwhelming demand, the supply of H-2B visas was depleted by Jan. 2--before spring and summer seasonal small businesses had an opportunity to apply for H-2B workers.
Under the H-2B program, employers are not allowed to apply for seasonal workers more than 120 days before they are needed, which results in spring and summer employers being denied the opportunity to hire the staff they need to run their businesses successfully.
NFIB will continue to work with the H-2B Workforce Coalition to pass legislation expanding the H-2B visa program. Stay tuned to NFIB.com for updates on this critical small business issue.
