WASHINGTON (WMAL) A reduction in the number of H-2B temporary work visas devastated Maryland’s crab and seafood processing industry in 2018, and Gov. Larry Hogan says it will do the same in 2019 unless more visas are issued.
Thursday he wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Department of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta asking them to reverse a 2018 decision to limit the number of visas available through the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers program.
He said failing to restore the H-2B visa program will jeopardize jobs and threaten the livelihood of Maryland’s watermen and commercial crabbers along with the state’s $355 million seafood industry.
In a typical year, Hogan said 500 H-2B seasonal workers are needed for Maryland’s 20 licensed crab picking houses.
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18 comments:
There are thousands of welfare recipients that are able to work...make them do it
Let the crab house pay a decent wage and Americans will do it. Hogan doesn't want to play nice until he is in a want.
One wonders what is the matter with these jobs that they can't get Americans to do them ? Just because these workers come legally does not really make a difference to me. The industry is still exploiting foreign labor. Bus prisoners to do it if you need cheap seasonal labor.
Amen @ 10:45 we have thousands that sit around all day plotting crimes for when they get out!! Put their trifling asses to work for once maybe they'll have a come to Jesus moment
I am tired of hearing the woes of this industry. If they made the investment and took the risks farmers do they may have a more practical business model. They are basically harvesting and selling us what is already ours.
Badmouths Trump, and expects his administration to help him out. Poor RINO just doesn't get it. I really think he must be dense (HOGAN, not Trump)
No please have a job fair. There are plenty on the shore looking and wanting work. Connect our citizens with jobs FIRST!!!!
Good luck getting anything from this administration Governor Dumba##.
I know of two picking houses in Crisfield, one of which has about twelve pickers.there was not enough crabs to keep those ladies working all season so I don't see the need for foreign labor.
Trump would me more concerned if was a glitzy, marble and gilded game of Monoply. Tacky and shallow like third world show girls and tanning beds.
Lets build the wall ! A big spectacle of a wall with gold leaf and neon and fake art and armed beauty queens in towers taking out the vermin.
These workers know the job. It works this way and has for years. It’s seasonal work, they come, bust their asses, and go home. I don’t want unemployable fat fingered dopes touching my crab meat. It’s a handful of seasonal jobs for chrissakes.
102pm....take an extra dose of your meds plz.
Crab picken aside.....WE must put serious pressure on our local repub committee, they set us up with this rino shameful lying anti democrat assisting fake hogan and we need to see them publicly disassociating from him...loud and clear....immediately! Maybe its time to kick these traitor committee members to the curb!
Let the whining fisherman pick the crabs too instead of spending the afternoon in the bar.
MD tax payer is supporting to many illegals now. We don't need more we need less illegals, because that is what they will be when their visas expire.
well just bring some of those overseas visas workers from OC on down to crisfield. That should work!
What’s this? Hogan, who has pushed so many businesses’ out of Maryland, costing Americans their jobs with his regulations and taxes is NOW concerned about keeping a “sweat shop” environment for foreign migrant workers picking crabs for Maryland. His main concern is that these foreign workers might lose their jobs. How about suggesting to entrepreneurs that they charge .10c more per crab cake, crab soup, crab salad, lobster stuffed crab, etc. etc. etc. and then pay people a decent salary. I, as a crab lover would gladly pay the extra .10c, as would 99.9% of crab lovers would also do.
Locals ONLY
Locals ONLY
LOCALS ONLY
Keep thinking or try doing otherwise and it will always fail.
My mother worked in a crab house a good portion of her young life as she is from Crisfield. I asked her for input as to why they can't keep workers and it isn't the wages.
The job is tough. It's hot, flies are constantly around and landing on you, and the crabbing comes in runs which means you may or may not make enough to live on. The people however are great.
It's like Smith and Tangier Island. In the day of the internet many young people want to head off into the world and find their own way and they do not carry on tradition.
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