Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) recently introduced a bipartisan bill, “Save our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2015,” to reform the H-2B visa program. The legislation is designed to help seasonal employers better navigate the H-2B temporary non-agricultural visa program and increase certainty for small businesses by allowing seasonal employers to better prepare for fluctuations in demand.
The H-2B Workforce Coalition, an alliance of more than 40 various industry associations focused on protecting American workers by ensuring American small and seasonal employers have access to legal short-term temporary employees during peak business periods, voiced its support for the bill.
“Lodging industry employers always look first to the U.S. workforce to fill critical job functions during peak seasons at hotels, but in many instances there are no workers available,” said Brian Crawford, vice president of government and political affairs at the American Hotel & Lodging Association and co-chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition. “The H-2B program provides valuable support for businesses looking to supplement their workforce with temporary seasonal employees. We commend Sens. Tillis, Mikulski, Cassidy, and Warner for introducing bipartisan legislation that provides clarity and much-needed reforms to the H-2B program in order to help American employers recruit workers for temporary employment in this country to run successful businesses.”
To read the full statement, click here.
