Over the weekend, Congress voted to extend through March 27 the law that prevents the Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing the H-2B wage rule. It was part of a stop-gap spending measure to keep the government funded beyond the start of the fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.
Late last year, the DOL issued two rules that could hurt the H-2B guest worker program, potentially making it unusable for members of the Green Industry. The two proposed regulations are known as the wage rule and the program rule.
The wage rule would artificially increase labor costs associated with the H-2B program to an unmanageable level. The program rule seeks to impose new costs, burdens and complexities.
“PLANET [the Professional Landcare Network] will continue to fight for a longer term prohibition, but we are happy in the meantime our members will not be subject to unprecedented wage increases,” the association said.
The program rule seeks to impose new costs, burdens and complexities. It can’t be implemented due to a preliminary injunction issued against it in April in Florida’s Northern District. The injunction applies nationwide.
“After the legal maneuvering in the case concludes, PLANET hopes the judge will make the injunction permanent,” the association said.
