The proposal would reform the H-2A visa program, under which hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mostly from Mexico, take on seasonal jobs in the U.S. agriculture industry.
Driver who hit 6 farm workers in North Carolina turns himself in to police, saying he fled in panic
The new rule, which is subject to a 60-day comment period, seeks to make it easier for labor unions to contact and interact with the H-2A workers, and to protect the workers from retaliation if they meet with labor representatives. The workers would be allowed to have visitors, including those from labor groups, in employer-provided housing, for example.
The rule would also require farmers who employ H-2A workers to provide seat belts on vans that are often used to transport workers long distances. Transportation accidents areAnd in a step intended to counter human trafficking, employers would be required to identify anyone recruiting workers on their behalf in the U.S. or foreign countries and to provide copies of any agreements they have with those recruiters.
Another visa program, the H-2B, which allows temporary workers in fields other than agriculture, already includes similar requirements, department officials said. “We're putting together a series of new protections or clarifying protections to make sure that workers in the program can really advocate on behalf of themselves, and that...will help prevent the problems that we’re seeing with exploitative conditions,” a senior Labor department official said.
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