Ag Coalition chair testifies for H-2A, H-2B

John Young, co-chairman of the Ag. Coalition for Immigration Reform, testified before the House Education and Labor Committee on May 6. The committee was exploring whether the H-2A and H-2B guest-worker programs give Americans a fair shot at jobs. Here are a few highlights of his testimony. "I have used H-2 or H-2A labor for all of the 46 years that I have been in business." "New England Apple Council members try their very best to recruit US workers. The first reason is to meet their obligations under the H-2A regulations, but also because U.S. workers are less costly than foreign workers. The costs of transportation and housing add at least $2 per hour to the employer's costs, and for short term jobs the number can be in the neighborhood of $4 per hour. In an industry with very close profit margins employers do not bring in foreign workers unless they absolutely need to."