H2B Problems Spreading

This story from MetroNorth Newspapers takes a look at how Congress' failure to revive the H2B program has impacted many industries.

Fielding a workforce: As growing turns to harvest, labor needs crucial

By Sara Crocker Editor's Note: Today begins the first installment of a four-part series on immigration. While the series is centered on the impacts of illegal immigration in the Adams County region, it will also explore some immigration issues in general. The first part looks at labor, which will be followed by education, health and crime. April 29, 2008 18:10

Each month that goes by, employers at Northglenn-based D&E Steel Services have to turn away about four perspective employees. But D&E is not fully staffed. The applicants are skilled, President Steve Thoutt says. They are hard working, too. What these people can't provide, however, is the proper documentation to prove they are allowed to work in the states. "We're having a tough time finding more workers," said Thoutt, whose company specializes in design, supply, detailing and installation of steel. In January, D&E applied for 10 H-2B workers - a federal program which lets employers hire foreign workers temporarily - but was denied, Thoutt said. Dave Tollefson, president of Thornton-based landscaping company Urban Farmer, said he was approved for the 250 H-2B workers he applied for, though he didn't expect to get them all. Still, when the 66,000-person cap for the program was met, his workers were still in Mexico, he said, and that's where they'll have to stay. Tollefson was able to extend the visas of 100 H-2B workers here for the winter season. Still, he's short 190 people. "That means that we're scrambling right now," he said. It's a fear that most employers who rely on a large, labor-intensive workforce have echoed throughout the region. The problem, they say, is they try - and must prove to the government to use the H-2B program - to hire people living in the area first. Those people can be hard to find because of the kind of work and time commitment these jobs can have, employers said. "We are seasonal employers and the product that we grow requires much hand work and hand harvest," said Dave Petrocco Sr., president of David Petrocco Farms based in Brighton. The third-generation vegetable farmer said the June to September season has always made it hard to find workers. "Secondly, it's work that's out in the fields that requires early hours, late hours and holiday work and much of that is work with the hands," Petrocco said. "So the American workforce to fulfill those type of jobs seasonally is very limited."

You can read the whole story at www.metronorthnews.com