The Trump Administration will cut the pay of all Farmworkers by reducing the minimum wages paid to Workers filling seasonal agricultural jobs in the H-2A Visa Program. By lowering wage rates implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) estimates more than 350,000 H-2A Farmworkers could see their annual wages cut by a total of $2 billion or more - between 26% to 32% of their wages. These significant wage cuts for H-2A Workers will put downward pressure on the wages of U.S. Farmworkers, reducing their total annual wages by about $3 billion - up to 9% of their total wages. Total losses in pay for all Farmworkers will range from $4.4 to $5.4 billion - roughly 10% to 12% of their total wages - according to EPI estimates. The Farmworkers who toil in the fields do not deserve a pay cut -they deserve a raise. Instead of cutting wages, the Trump Administration should restore the previous standards that required employers to pay H-2A Workers no less than the average wage for Field and Livestock Workers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Trump’s new H-2A wage rule will radically cut the wages of all farmworkers: New estimates show farmworkers stand to lose $4.4 to $5.4 billion annually under DOL’s updated Adverse Effect Wage Rate | Economic Policy Institute