DOL Fights to Tighten Rules for Farmworker Visas

The Bush Administration, in its final days, implemented rules to make it easier for farmers to hire temporary foreign laborers. These rules also arguably cause the reduction of wages and the proliferation of poor working conditions for all farmworkers, foreign and domestic. Although Romben Law, APC is in Los Angeles, we have had inquiries about the wages and conditions of employment faced by foreign farmworkers.

The Obama administration today moved to roll back some of those Bush Administration rules. This roll-back is expected to result in an increase of about $1.44 per hour for the average wage for farmworkers — who often do back-breaking work for very long hours. The change in rules would also protect American workers from being displaced, if Americans wish to apply for and take such jobs. –jcf