department of labor

Officials with the White House, Department of Labor, and USDA recently hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers to talk about labor challenges facing agriculture.  North Carolina Farm Bureau member Faylene Whitaker says the conversation centered around two main topics.   “...

Farm employers face a variety of challenges right now, but one of the biggest is finding adequate labor and the cost of paying it.  And when it comes to H-2A reform, Kate Tynan, Senior Vice President at the Northwest Horticultural Council, said the biggest hurdle to overcome right now is costs as well as regulatory burdens.  But she...

Ag Organizations across the country are seeking a nationwide injunction against a new U.S. Department of Labor rule, allowing foreign farmworkers to form unions, as well as other considerable changes to the H-2A program.  A federal judge in Georgia has already blocked the DOL rule, “Improving Farmworker Protections” in 17 states, including Idaho.  In mid-September, a...

The International Fresh Produce Association and nine co-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit contesting the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulatory overreach and limitations on the freedom of speech of farmers who employ temporary workers.   “DOL is exacerbating an already enormously challenging labor crisis for growers and agriculture employers across the country. This lawsuit ch...

The H-2A program continues to grow in popularity, or necessity, in farm country.  American agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers can fill seasonal farm jobs with temporary foreign workers through the H-2A Visa Program.  The Dep...

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act awaits Senate action during the lame-duck session, and many in the farming community say this legislation is the closest meaningful immigration reform has come to the finish line in years.  Research by David Bier, Cato Institute associate director of immigration studies, said s farmers would save billions over the next few years if the Senate passes the legisla

Ag Labor remains one of the chief concerns for the farming community, not only due to increasing costs, but limited availability in 2022. Dan Newhouse, chair of Western Caucus said unfortunately, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which has already cleared the House is stalled in the Senate ...

Earlier this week, the Department of Labor announced a change in how farm labor rate increases are determined. Allison Crittenden, American Farm Bureau Federation Congressional Relations Director, said the final rule no longer uses USDA’s Farm Labor Survey for workers who fall under core farm occupations. ...

Farmworker advocates are pleased the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California issued a temporary restraining order and an injunction against the USDA decision to suspend the annual Farm Labor Survey. The Packer said unless the decision gets appealed, it means USDA has to conduct its Farm Labor Survey and issue its annual Farm Labor Report in November ...

New features on the the USDA's website will help facilitate the employment of H-2A workers. The USDA announced the new features Monday, which includes a real-time dashboard that enables farmers to track the status of their eligible employer application and visa applications for temporary nonimmigrant workers ...