You may have recently seen the Action Alert from the National Roofing Contractors Association to “Urge Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 3897, the H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act.”
As described by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the legislation proposes several key reforms to the H-2B temporary worker program, including the exemption of “returning H-2B workers from an antiquated and outdated annual quota.” As unemployment continues at significantly low numbers, businesses in both the roofing and manufacturing sectors are struggling to find adequate labor. As further described by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “… this bipartisan legislation would implement several improvements to the H-2B application process, including requiring the U.S. Department of Labor to maintain a publicly accessible online job registry and establishing a single digital platform for the many requests associated with the H-2B process. These measures would significantly improve overall H-2B visa processing. Finally, the legislation would establish new H-2B program integrity measures and anti-fraud provisions, which would further protect the interests of American workers and H-2B workers alike.” Addressing the labor shortage in the U.S. is critical to the post-pandemic economic recovery.
The NRCA has a fantastic grassroots advocacy page that goes into further detail about H.R. 3897, the H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act and the importance of addressing this acute problem, so that roofing industry employers will have access to legal seasonal workers to help fulfill their contracts.
You can access the NRCA Action Alert widget here to quickly and easily send a letter to your elected officials.