Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on the reintroduction of the Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act in Congress:
We thank Rep. Joaquin Castro for reintroducing this critical piece of legislation as we continue the fight to protect and expand workers’ rights across our economy. The Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act will hold corporations accountable for their current misuse of the H-2B visa program and ensure that all seasonal workers are treated with dignity and respect on the job.
Seasonal workers are on the front lines, and these jobs should be good, union jobs with fair wages and safe working conditions. The H-2B program’s current structure has allowed employers to pit working people against each other and enabled rampant wage theft, violence, retaliation and other forms of exploitation. Rather than continuing to expand this failed model, unions are calling for a new, pro-worker approach. This bill will lift standards in seasonal industries, enable workers to exercise their rights to organize, and provide a path to citizenship for migrant workers and their families.
The Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act provides us with a bold opportunity to rework a broken system, and America’s unions are committed to leveraging our power to advance these overdue reforms.
Contact: Danielle Noel, 202-637-5018