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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 4/17/13
Fixing the broken immigration system has been one of NMPF’s highest priorities dating back nearly a decade. Today, we stand closer than ever before to doing that. In fact, what we’re working with lawmakers to do is not merely fixing a broken system; but scrapping an old set of unworkable rules, and replacing it with something better: better for employers, better for employees, better for law enforcement, better for the economy – better for America.
Throughout this process, we’ve been mindful of several key items that any eventual deal must contain. These include:
1. Establishing a blue card for experienced agricultural workers. This provides a means for farmers to keep their existing workforce, including those who may not be legally documented. We don’t want our dairy farmers to lose experienced, loyal employees as part of this effort;
2. Creating a new visa system for future workers that is easy to use, and affordable. There’s no sense going through all this effort if the resulting product is too cumbersome, costly and confusing for farmers to use. That’s why attempting to retrofit the seasonal H2A program onto the dairy industry really wasn’t a long-term solution;
3. Assuring the future flow of new workers is pivotal to dairy farmers, so that as the economy and jobs shift and evolve, we still have a means to recruit and hire new dairy workers for a long period of time;
4. Eliminating the seasonality element of any ag visa program such as H2A, which prevented U.S. dairy farmers from using it. Dairy producers need relief from having to demonstrate the seasonal or temporary nature of employment.
We’ve done a lot of work; we have more work to do. As Chuck said, we want to thank our bipartisan group of champions in the Senate, who have heard our concerns, challenged us to compromise, and will now introduce a workable answer to a question we’ve been struggling with for years.
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