House Action Jeopardizes Landscape Labor

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted recently to reduce the number of non-agricultural temporary and seasonal worker visas allowed under the H-2B immigration program. These reductions were intended as an offset to increases the Committee voted to make to the immigration program that allows alien high-tech workers into the country. Despite the small size and low usage of the program by qualifying industries-- only 16,000 of the current annual level of 66,000-- and the bureaucratic red tape surrounding participation in the program, the H-2B program is the one of the only labor safety nets available to landscape business operators. The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA)'s position is that the H-2B program should be preserved as the landscape industry's insurance against labor shortages.

For this reason, ANLA has joined forces with other affected industries to oppose reductions made to the H-2B program. The coalition is calling on members of the House and Senate to remove the provision reducing H-2B levels of authorization. ANLA strongly urges landscape businesses to contact your Senators and Representatives to voice opposition to the H-2B provision in the High Tech Immigration bill H.R. 3736, and any comparable provision being considered by the Senate. The bill is expected to come up for consideration in the House this summer.