GREGG FIGHTS FOR SMALL AND SEASONAL BUSINESSES WITH H-2B VISA RELIEF

Thursday, May 15, 2008                                             Contact: Andrea Wuebker/Laena Fallon

GREGG FIGHTS FOR SMALL AND SEASONAL BUSINESSES WITH H-2B VISA RELIEF

            WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) today applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee’s passage of a three year extension of the H-2B returning worker provision helping businesses that count on seasonal workers to stay in business.   This bipartisan amendment, co-sponsored by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), exempts returning seasonal workers from the national cap of 66,000 visas. The original law to provide this returning worker exemption, authored by Senator Gregg, expired on September 30, 2007, leaving many businesses in New Hampshire and throughout the nation with an inadequate workforce.  This amendment is contained in the emergency supplemental appropriations bill, which now heads to the full Senate for possible consideration.

Temporary, documented workers are vital for many companies – including hotels, restaurants, and landscapers – to stay in business. In fact, many companies use the H-2B visa program year after year to legally hire seasonal workers when American workers are not available.

           Senator Gregg stated, “Significant parts of New Hampshire’s economy rely on seasonal workers, who become increasingly important in many of our high tourism areas during the busy summer months. Without H-2B workers, some of these businesses – such as hotels, restaurants, and landscapers – will face severe labor shortages and reduced operations that impact our state’s economy.  Unfortunately, these employers are now largely shut out of the H-2B program, and many of them are struggling to operate and provide their services and goods.  Congress must act now to help.  This bipartisan amendment restores a key provision in the H-2B program that frees up additional visas and rewards companies and foreign workers that play by the rules.”

Pat Corso, President and CEO of the Mount Washington Resort, stated, “It is of the utmost importance to the hospitality industry in New Hampshire to extend the returning worker exemption for H2B visa program. Here at the Mount Washington Resort, we currently employ over 450 fulltime employees and 300 part time and seasonal workers, of those 300 between 60 to 80 use H2B visas for our prime winter and summer seasons.  New Hampshire’s ski, resort, lodging and restaurant industries rely on our ability to expand our employment base seasonally.  Without these seasonal workers we would not be able to operate to full capacity  and would be forced to scale back operations, reducing not only seasonal but fulltime local employment as well.  I applaud Senator Gregg for his leadership to ensure that these workers, who have such a significant benefit to the stability of our economy, are able to return to businesses throughout New Hampshire.”