Migrant workers fill labor shortage

NORWALK — There's a lot of concern and confusion surrounding a potential migrant housing project in Norwalk. In the fall, Norwalk is expecting about 300 H-2A certified migrant workers to arrive and begin living on Cline Street. H-2A is a term used for this type of visa. Green Circle Growers, of Oberlin, is building quadplexes for temporary workforce employees on Cline Street in Norwalk. Approximately 300 workers are expected to be living there by November, using the H-2A program. "It will be temporary workforce people, so it's a little different. It's like what you see at Cedar Point," Norwalk Mayor Dave Light said. "It's a privilege for them to get to come here, so they don't want to do anything to screw that privilege up. They're there around 10 months out of the year." Meanwhile, Corso's Flower & Garden Center recently purchased a 7.5-acre property on Valley Park Drive with plans to develop housing for employees. This purchase comes after the company withdrew plans for housing in Sandusky. "We utilize agricultural workers licensed through the H-2A program governed by the United States Department of Labor," said Fritz Mueller, spokesman for Corso's, of the Sandusky project. "Providing a better housing solution for these workers is a top priority for Corso's." The status of the Corso's project, however, remains unknown as of today. During a Norwalk council meeting this past week, many community members expressed their disapproval with the project. The Register researched government documents and spoke with an expert source to better understand this nationwide issue of foreign workers coming into local communities. The program H-2A visas allow foreign workers to come to the U.S. and perform seasonal or temporary agricultural work. Employers apply for a specific time period to have the workers; the number of workers requested; working hours and wages; along with work and housing rules. The visa's purpose is to provide agricultural employers with a flow of legal employees, decreasing reliance on unauthorized workers. Before petitioning for such workers, the employer has to file an application with the Department of Labor to ensure that there are not enough domestic workers willing or available to work the jobs. Still, employers must hire any qualified U.S. worker that applies during the first half of the contract period. If this is approved, a foreign worker can go to a U.S. embassy and apply for a visa that can be used to apply for admission into the country. As the employer, housing, transportation and other benefits, such as workers' compensation insurance, must be provided for foreign employees. "Because these workers don't live here, the program requires employers to pay for housing," said Lynn Tramonte, director of Ohio Immigrant Alliance, an organization advocating for immigrant rights. "They need a place to stay, and it should be adequate. It's usually very basic housing that most people in the U.S. wouldn't want to live in." Program rules Although the program is for temporary or seasonal work, the job is considered full-time. The employer must offer a minimum of 35 hours per week with a required day off. Employers must offer the adverse effect wage rate, a federal or state minimum wage. This amount is established by the Department of Labor for every state. In 2021, the national average is $14.62, but in Ohio, the wage is $15.31. Those under an H-2A visa can arrive in the country one week before the petitioned starting period and remain in the country for 30 days after the time expires. Employers can increase the visa up to one year, but under H-2A rules, a worker's stay cannot exceed three consecutive years. H-2A workers fill about 10% of the full-time-equivalent jobs in U.S. agriculture in 2019, according to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor. The United States records the type of visa and nationality but does not record the sending regions, ages of workers or years of experience. An increase in need The number of H-2A positions certified in the nation increased 70% between 2011 and 2019, climbing to 258,000, according to the Ohio Migrant Education Center. Ohio saw a larger increase with the number of certifications increasing by 86% in the same time period. In 2020, the most H-2A visa holders came from Mexico, followed by South Africa and Jamaica, according to the National Council of Agricultural Employers. Still, these H-2A workers perform their duties side by side with U.S. workers, but fewer domestic laborers are taking seasonal farm jobs. In 2012, the North Carolina Growers Association tried to fill 7,000 positions through the program and only 2% of U.S. workers applied and showed up for work. The Department of Labor found that, from 2014 to 2016, 87% of H-2A employers received no U.S. workers. "There are not enough U.S. workers willing to work these seasonal jobs," Tramonte said. "College kids who used to come work on the farms are now taking summer internships. There's a farm labor shortage." No H-2A workers? If these workers were unable to come into the country to work on these farms, the agricultural market could have to move. "The alternative is for food production to go to Mexico, but it is healthier and better if agriculture remains in Ohio," she said. "The harvesting is only the beginning of the food supply chain and other jobs stem from that." Of the nonimmigrant visas issued in 2020, H-2A visas were issued 213,394 times compared to 134,268 in 2016. In April 2021, Mexico issued 33,173 H-2A visas, Guatemala issued 610 and Jamaica issued 444, according to the Department of State. "These are the people that are picking our food, so we can have tomatoes and everything else grown in America," Tramonte said. "They are working difficult jobs."