Small-business owners urge Hill to restore visas

AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT LINE OF B.S., THERE'S A BRIDGE ------ WHAT THEY'RE REALING SAYING IS THAT THEY WON'T PAY A DECENT WAGE AND RELY ON CHEAP FOREIGNERS WHO WILL WORK FOR MUCH LESS.

The reporter failed to mention that the DOL is considering reforms to the H2-B visa program that would extend the length of stay from about 8 months to 10 years. It is also considering making the visas "nameless" -- in other words the visas would be interchangeable so that they aren't granted to specific workers but rather just "wild card" visas where the workers aren't specifically named in the application. This is how it's done in the Persian Gulf -- and there visas are bartered among the middlemen recruiting agents who charge both worker and employer for their services, which can add up between the local and foreign recruiting agents. These laws do not cross international boundaries, so foreign recruiting agents can lie to their recruits, saying they're getting permanent residency, then by the time they realize they're temps, they're already recruited. Finally, the wages paid these workers are lower than the wages actually being paid American workers, especially at the lower-skilled entry-level job brackets. The proponents mislead by saying these workers are paid prevailing wage, when prevailing wage is actually lower than what workers are actually being paid. For example, a low-skilled American welder could get maybe $15 an hour, but the prevailing wage is more like $12, and the H2-B worker does it for that wage because he's available. Also, these H2-B workers are "at will" and face deportation for any reason, so obviously they're more "obedient" and tolerant of working conditions an American wouldn't accept. The Washington Times has done a bad job providing a thorough view of this issue, especially for not reporting on the DOL's reforms to the program as I mentioned above. PS: I am not anti-migrant and I do not think the H2-B program is something we should not have, but if the laws wer're truly interested in ensuring these workers didn't undercut American workers, it would do more to prevent the racketeering and human trafficking aspect when abuses occur. These abuses are more common when larger companies use the program -- not necessarily small business owners, like seafood processors or landscapers. These abuses have been found in the forestry and marine construction industries.