According to a recent report from the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA), the preliminary 2002 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) will average $7.86 nationally, which is an increase of 4.2% over the 2001 rate.

ANLA calles the AEWR an "unrealistic barrier to H-2A guest worker program participation in many areas." The organizaton is currently working with Congress and Bush Administration in an effort to reform the H-2A wage rate so that the program "can be the 'safety net' Congress intended."

Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) and Reps. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) are working with ANLA to force the Dept. of Labor to replace AEWR with a market-based prevailing wage for H-2A workers.

In the last five years, the AEWR has risen 18.4%, and is expected to continue to rise unless it is eliminated or replaced with an alternative market-based prevailing wage.