MAINE PUBLIC • September 27, 2022
Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner has relied on migrant workers since the end of WWII. Apple growers are calling for the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would expand the H-2A visa program beyond seasonal labor, streamline the application process, and establish a pathway to citizenship for long term H-2A workers. It would also create 3-year visas, reducing the logistical hurdles for workers and employers. But some national labor groups are firmly opposed to the measure. Sonia Singh, co-director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, said the pathway to citizenship laid out in the bill is too narrow and demanding, and for some workers it could take between 4 and ten years to be able to apply for a Green Card. Singh also objected to linking the citizenship pathway to an expansion of the H-2A visa program.