WASHINGTON —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
The STRIVE Act—Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy—or H.R. 1645, contains several provisions favored by the industry, notably a guest worker program and a possible path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants living and working in this country. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
“The bill gives some reason for optimism,” said John Gay, senior vice president of government affairs and public policy for the National Restaurant Association. “At first glance it has the structure we’re looking for in comprehensive reform, and it launches debate in the 110th Congress. We hope it will spur the Senate along.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Proponents of immigration reform hope that the passage of some comprehensive reform package at the federal level will help to head off scores of related bills introduced at the state and local levels. According to the NRA, some 43 states introduced immigration bills in 2006, at least some of which would prohibit the employment of undocumented workers, impose penalties for noncompliance and require work authorization verification. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
However, at presstime industry experts were cautioning that they had yet to investigate fully the sprawling, 700-page bipartisan bill, which Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., introduced March 22. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Association executives, for example, were concerned about the bill’s proposed employment verification system, which would require employers to confirm each potential employee’s eligibility to work. “We’ll have to go over that with a fine-tooth comb,” Gay said. “We have to make sure it’s functional, not too complex and not too expensive.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Some apprehension also was voiced about the STRIVE measure’s “touchback” provision, which would require immigrants working here for six years to return briefly to their native countries before being allowed to re-enter to apply for permanent legal status. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Nevertheless, Gay and others sounded a generally upbeat note. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
“We know broadly what’s in it, and I can say it’s an encouraging bill,” he said. “But while the outline we’ve seen indicates they’re on the right track, we don’t know what the details are yet.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Industry officials had condemned the House’s previous immigration initiative, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act, which chiefly addressed employer sanctions and border security. The measure sought to stiffen fines for hiring illegal immigrants and required employers to check a national registry for workers’ employment eligibility status. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Association executives said the STRIVE Act at least attempts to find a way to deal with the 12 million or so undocumented or illegal immigrants—about half of whom are said to come from Mexico—who currently live and work in the United States. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
The federal government estimates the number of immigrants—legal and illegal—who are employed in foodservice positions at about 1.4 million, or 10 percent of the industry’s workforce. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
The Gutierrez-Flake bill would enable undocumented immigrants who entered the country before June 1, 2006, to remain here and work for two three-year periods on newly established H-2C visas available for guest workers. The measure would require that employers offer foreign workers the same wages and working conditions as American workers. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
In addition, it allows for a flexible “future flow program.” Unlike last year’s Senate bill, which established a 200,000-person cap for H-2C temporary worker visas, the STRIVE Act sets the number at 400,000 and provides a mechanism that enables that total to rise or fall, depending on economic needs. The upper limit would be 600,000. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
“The number of H-2C visas would be adjusted yearly,” said David French, vice president of government relations for the International Franchise Association. “It’s important that the future inflow of immigrants will be tied to market conditions in the U.S.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Richie Jackson, executive vice president and chief executive of the Texas Restaurant Association, said the bill’s touchback provision shouldn’t pose much of a problem for undocumented workers from Mexico. “It becomes more difficult when the immigrants are from Central or South America or the Pan-Asian areas,” he said. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
French said the touchback program “seems like the sponsors felt they needed to just put a hurdle [to permanent residency] in the bill.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Gay called it “primarily a political provision” to help gain support among congressional lawmakers who are against any bill that would appear to offer amnesty to illegal workers here now. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
The measure also would require any immigrant who seeks permanent residency to pay a $2,000 fine and back taxes, learn English, and pass background and security checks. Once immigrants have returned to their homes and then applied for U.S. legal status, they would have to wait in line behind any green-card applicants living here or abroad. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Officials have voiced doubts about a provision in the bill that would require employers to use a government-created electronic verification system that would establish an individual’s eligibility to hold a job in this country. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Scott Vinson, vice president of government relations for the National Council of Chain Restaurants, said the government’s existing system has only been tested in an experimental program with about 10,000 employers and “is not ready for prime time.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
He added, “The program is small and not very efficient.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
He maintains that Social Security and Department of Homeland Security databases are old and contain much outdated material. At the same time, some lawmakers want businesses to pay for it. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Gay said, “A lot of us are still skeptical it would work as well as it sounds.” —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
Gay also said he was disappointed that the current bill does not offer a permanent solution to the H-2B visa issue. H-2B visas are available to a limited number of immigrant workers who enter the country each year and fill temporary seasonal jobs. In the past, members of the foodservice and hospitality industries have been shut out of the hiring process because companies are not allowed to apply more than 120 days before workers are needed, and the annual cap had been reached much earlier than that. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.
The NRA estimates that the industry will add 15-percent more jobs over the next decade. While the government projects the U.S. labor force will grow by 10 percent, the 16- to 24-year-old age group—which makes up about half of the industry’s workforce—is not expected to grow at all. —Foodservice industry officials are cautiously optimistic that a seemingly comprehensive bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives could help jump-start the stalled federal legislative initiative on immigration reform and provide a mechanism that would augment the industry’s diminishing labor pool.