Cutbacks blamed on H-2B visa cap (Article on Maine businesses)

[bronxiteforever]

April 11, 2019 by Becky Pritchard of Mount Desert Islander

BAR HARBOR — Several seasonal businesses are opening later than usual and cutting back hours after not receiving visas they had requested for temporary foreign workers. “We have delayed our opening by a week, and we will only be serving dinner until we are adequately staffed,” said Gail Leiser, co-owner of Galyn’s in Bar Harbor. This year, as has been the case for the last several years, the demand for H-2B visas by seasonal employers has far outweighed the supply.

Around the corner at West Street Cafe, co-owner Jessica DesVeaux said her business did not receive any of the visas she applied for. “The entire situation is very frustrating, as we depend on these workers to supplement our great local workforce,” DesVeauxsaid.

“Because of the lack of staff … we have been forced to open several weeks later than last year,” she said. “These weeks we are closed, our local staff are missing out on valuable money they need to carry them through the long Maine winter. We’ve also considered not opening in the evenings once we do open, unless we can secure enough kitchen staff to operate adequately.”

https://www.mdislander.com/maine-news/cutbacks-blamed-on-h-2b-visa-cap

[Nictuku]

1. Maybe they will have to pay something closer to a living wage?

I think the problem has more to do with how little they want to pay employees, rather than not being able to find people who need and will do the work. They just need a living wage.

[keithbvadu2]

2. More Trump economy jobs for his coal miners.