March 20, 2014 

 H-2B 

CALL TO ACTION
H-2B Updates - Call to Action 
(PLANET and FEWA notice)
 

Please send a letter to your member of Congress using this  PLANET Legislative Action Center Link:  

  
Recent H-2B Happenings:
1.   Cap Hit-The H-2B cap for the first half of the fiscal year (prior to April 1) was reached on March 14. We hope your workers are already in the country or are en route. If your H-2B application is still pending at the Department of Labor, please work with your H-2B provider to discuss next steps. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet said how it plans to handle H-2B petitions that arrive after the 14th, but we will have additional details to you as soon as they are available.  
2.   Harris H-2B Bill- Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) has introduced H-2B legislation (H.R. 4238) that is supported by PLANET and FEWA. The bill would do the following:
  •  Reinstate an expired provision of law that would exempt H-2B workers who have complied with the terms of their past H-2B visas from the 66,000 cap returning;
  • Require employers to reimburse H-2B workers mid-season for their transportation and subsistence costs from the U.S. consulate or border crossing to the worksite, or from the previous worksite to the new worksite;
  • Streamline the H-2B recruitment process and permit "staggered entry" to allow employers to bring workers in on multiple dates as they ramp-up for their busy seasons;
  • Clarify the "prevailing wage" methodology that should be used for setting H-2B wages to ensure that wages are fair and reflective of economic realities; and
  • Clarify that H-2B rulemaking authority rests solely with the Department of Homeland Security.
Please take a few minutes to send a letter to your member of Congress asking him or her to co-sponsor this important legislation (HR 4328).       
 

 

It only takes 2 minutes to have your voice heard on H-2B - Help the industry get the workers they need. 

 

MEET THE 2014 NJGIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

 

NJGIC Officers:

President: Jim Jensen/

   NuFarm

Vice Pres.: John Patten/

   PBI Gordon

Treasurer: Robert Windish

   Fairway Green

Secretary: Jay Turchi/

   Synatek

Past Pres.: Wayne Dubin/

   Bartlett Tree Experts

 

NJGIC Board of Directors:

Tom Breiner/

   Verdesian Life 

John Buechner /

   Lawn Doctor

Michael Cavanaugh/

   Pest ID.

Mark Kuhns/

   GCSA-NJ

Matt Lindner /

   Save-a-Lawn

Keith MacIndoe /

   NJNLA

Mark Mason/

   Lawn Doctor

Chris Moyer/

   DowAgroSciences

Eric Smith/

   SJLA

JoAnn Zelasko/

  

NJGIC 

Working with PLANET and FEWA on Federal Issues 

 

"Advocating for the Green Industry through Education and Communication"