On Thurs. Sept. 3, NPC and the members of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition wrote to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Scalia requesting a review of the department\u2019s recent decisions and policy interpretations that limit the viability of the H-2A program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group noted a number of recent decisions by the Department\u2019s H-2A Certifying Officers, Solicitor\u2019s Office, and the Office Administrative Law Judges that \u201cwill effectively render the H-2A seasonal and temporary agricultural worker program useless to many in agriculture. These decisions and interpretations plainly depart from the Department\u2019s longstanding application of the H-2A statute and regulations,\u201d the group wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The letter cites a number of recent cases involving growers\u2019 applications for H-2A workers, which have been denied based on new interpretations of what constitutes \u201cseasonal or temporary,\u201d and asks for the Secretary to \u201creview these new decisions and policy interpretations and immediately correct them so that the H-2A program remains a viable source of critical labor for agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n