H-2B Expansion ‘Directly Counter’ to ‘Buy American, Hire American,’ Says Workers Union

A trades union representing American blue-collar construction workers says a plan to expand the H-2B low-skilled foreign guest worker visa is “directly counter” to President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” agenda.

The budget, promoted by House Speaker Paul Ryan, will allow Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to expand the number of foreign workers who come to the U.S. for blue-collar jobs by at least 20,000.

The H-2B visa brings foreign nationals to the U.S. for low-skilled nonagricultural jobs. The visa impacts working-class and poor Americans most, as jobs in the hotel industry, theme parks, retail, and restaurants can insource jobs to foreign workers under the program. H-2B visa workers filled more than half a million jobs in the U.S. in the past five years.

The North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) is denouncing the plan, saying it will further undercut blue-collar American workers and the security of their jobs...

The H-2B expansion slipped into the spending bill came as a treat to the big business and open borders lobbies, who through the H-2B Workforce Coalition organization, successfully lobbied Congress to expand the number of low-skilled foreign workers who can enter the U.S. every year,,,