Senate panel approves delay of guest worker wage hike
A new federal rule that would require crab processing plants on the Eastern Shore and elsewhere to pay a higher wage to temporary foreign workers would be delayed for a year under legislation approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday.
Advanced by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, the measure was attached to a larger spending bill in the Senate and appears to enjoy bipartisan support. The rule, created by the U.S. Department of Labor, will take effect Oct. 1 unless Mikulski's change is approved.
"We're for everybody earning an honest wage," the Maryland Democrat said. But, she added, "eighty percent [of the workers] come back every year. They must be satisfied."
The U.S. permits 66,000 foreigners to come to the country each year under what is known as the H-2B visa program. The temporary workers are hired for seasonal jobs such as crab picking, oyster shucking or landscaping and return home once the season is over.
Labor Department officials proposed higher wages for H-2B workers in January after a federal court struck down guidelines for the program crafted by the Bush administration. Under the rule, workers in Maryland who now make $7.25 an hour would receive $9.24, according to industry estimates.
Mikulski, who has long advocated for the Eastern Shore crab picking plants, has repeatedly expressed frustration that Labor Department officials would not meet with her on the issue because of pending lawsuits over the new rule.
"When they lawyered up, I got revved up," she said Wednesday. "This is the result."
Two Republicans on the committee, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said they support Mikulski's measure. Both have industries in their states that rely heavily on the H-2B workers.
"Without the H-2B workers, many employers in Maine would have to literally close their doors," Collins said. "That would put out of work the year-round American workers that they have."
No one raised objections to Mikulski's one-year delay during the hearing, but that doesn't mean there is unanimous opposition to the wage increase. Several advocates, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, argue that more U.S. residents would consider taking the seasonal jobs if employers paid a higher wage.
Comments
While I support(ed) the notion of not imposing the new rates immediately after the protests against them were finally resolved so as to give the business operators and the people directly affected some time to make their choices and arrangements to accommodate what they all knew was coming down the pike eventually without undue immediate term duress...
but allowing an entire year before starting the new rates is a bit much.
Posted by: MrRational | September 21, 2011 9:59 PM
I have a solution, put the people on welfare in these position, pay them 10.00$ but put it to their welfare check. If they don't want to work don't pay the welfare.
Wayne Blair
Posted by: Wayne Blair | September 21, 2011 11:23 PM
I wrote to Sen. Mikulski via email about my concerns with her support for a delay in implementing the program last week. Of course, no reply yet. And the only reply I expect will be a standard, thanks but this is my position and you little people just don't understand the issues the way I do. This will be followed by the fund-raising requests to support her next campaign. I guess that's an example of how effective one person can be in trying to influence a Senator - not effective at all. We are all gnats as far as they are concerned. Well, no Maryland Democrat above local level will get my vote in the next election. I'm done.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 21, 2011 11:38 PM
Wayne,
Most people on "welfare" either are disabled or have small children. So which is it going to be? Do we make the disabled try to work at the crab processor, or do we leave small children at home alone? $10/hour won't pay for daycare.
Posted by: unrest | September 22, 2011 11:54 AM