Last week, the US government sent letters to many growers in New York "telling them temporary workers through the H2A program would not be certified." The US "was opposed to the Jamaican government's long-standing policy of taking about 6 percent of workers' paychecks."
Recently, however the "Jamaican Central Labor Organization agreed to eliminate its administrative fee, but will continue to retain the insurance, savings deposit, and 1 percent allocation to the Jamaican Social Security system, according to officials at Mas Labor, a firm in Lovingston, Va."
The H2A program allows foreign nationals entry into the United States for agricultural work that is temporary or seasonal. Employers must comply with several requirements of the program and other US labor laws. For more information on agricultural labor laws, click here for the National Agricultural Law Center's Reading Room on the subject.
To read The Daily News Online story, click here.
Posted: 09/08/2010
