June 20, 2012
www.gfb.org
Vol. 30 No. 25
GA. DOL SURVEY SHOWS FARMERS REQUIRE EXPERIENCED LABOR Requiring experienced workers, paying employees weekly and providing the tools, supplies and equipment needed to perform a task are prevailing practices when Georgia farmers hire workers, according to survey results released by the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) in a conference call June 15. GDOL surveyed more than 1,500 employers and received valid responses from 226 farms employing more than 10,000 seasonal workers. The Prevailing and Common Agricultural Practices Survey, conducted Jan. 24 to March 15 by the GDOL, was intended to provide data to help the GDOL in reviewing and approving H-2A contracts regarding the hiring practices of farmers who hire seasonal employees. The U.S. Department of Labor requires employers using the H-2A program to provide employee benefits and working conditions that conform to “common” practices within the same area and occupations. “This survey shows that Georgia farmers need experienced workers who are skilled at planting and harvesting their crops,” Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said. “We are very grateful that the Georgia Department of Labor listened to farmers’ labor concerns and decided to conduct this survey to get insightful data that will help them review H-2A contracts and provide Georgia’s ag community with the experienced workforce it needs to feed America.” The GDOL has submitted the survey results to the U.S. DOL, and according to GDOL employee Angela Royal, who conducted the conference call, “For these practices in which the results are definitive, the Georgia Department of Labor plans to implement these immediately as part of our review process of all H-2A contracts unless otherwise directed by the U.S. DOL.” Georgia Farm Bureau was one of five ag organizations that promoted the survey to provide the GDOL with an accurate picture of the hiring practices of Georgia farmers. About 88 percent of the farmers who participated in the survey said they require experience ranging from one week to three or more years depending on the task. Georgia will accept experience requirements on contracts from employers without asking for the backup documentation required in the past, according to the letter GDOL submitted to the U.S. DOL announcing the survey results. Employers who offer contracts that do not include the prevailing practices will be required to provide a letter explaining why they cannot meet the prevailing practice. Providing family housing, using farm labor contractors to secure workers and paying transportation costs in advance for workers from the place of recruitment are not prevailing practices, according to the GDOL survey. The GDOL will accept contracts that include these non-prevailing practices, but employers who don’t use these practices will not be required to explain why.