H2B

1. H2B What is it? How can I use it?

2. Explanation: • H2B – Government program to bring unskilled workers into the US to perform jobs that US Citizens do not want to do. • Seasonal jobs • Lawn Maintenance • Nursery • Crab processing • Seasonal, Temporary or Peak Load needs • To send money: Xoom.com

3. Why use H2B? • Employee Motivation • Employee Dedication

4. How do I get into the process? • Starts in September for the following year • Could start later • Fair wage • Offer to local workers • Post in the local workforce agency • Newspaper Run on Sunday and one other day of the week.

5. Do I need a lawyer? • Is the expense worth it? • Can I do it myself? • Department of Labor • Imigration – USCIS Form I-29 • Schedule Interviews (in country) • Email the Labor: tlc.chicago@dol.gov • The phone number is 312-886-8000 but they work better by email.

6. How do I find the workers? • Recommendations from current workers • Services that recommend laborers • Driver’s license • Bring their paperwork • Apply for a social security card

7. Practical help – Getting Started • ”Think of going 1000 miles from home for 8 to 10 months to make money to provide a living for your family. You are going to work for a man/company that you never met in your life! What will you expect and what should you expect?" • Have the Apartments already secured and provide a lot of furniture, pots, pans, plates, glasses…etc. You can get a lot of things at good will stores and store them during the off-season. • Make maps for them that show directions of grocery stores and churches with largely Hispanic congregations. • "We gave each apartment a $100.00 gift certificate to the Shop Rite to stock them up a little in the fridge." • "Front them some money right off the bat! Give them each $300! Have them repay it $50. per paycheck… the money will create an instant sense of relief for them to take care of their families back home and remove a ton of stress they are likely feeling worrying about how they are going to make it."

8. What Means the Most to H2B Employees? • "On Wednesday mornings, we have coffee and donuts and paid training from 6:45 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. And, in this training (safety and skills), we all learn one Spanish sentence each week." • "We set hung up an American flag and a Mexican flag, side by side… what we think might not make much of a difference to an American employee, makes a huge difference to a Hispanic employee." • "Nothing works better to motivate than asking our employees face to face with or without a translator the following questions: 1) How are you doing today? And, respond to their answer. 2) When was the last time you've talked to your family? 3) Is there anything I can help you with, and mean it. I guarantee that these common courtesies… mean the most to our employees." • They are very grateful also, and in return I am given back the respect that any PERSON should expect in return under the circumstances." • "Treatment with respect and trying to communicate are key." • "We help find churches in our area, apartments, grocery stores, transportation, flea markets (these are loved by our Hispanic community). Make sure they have rides to and from (free)." • "I make sure they know how much I respect them, and how much I am grateful that they are here to help me. I provide them with the type of attention and the material things that I believe just makes their stay with us start out on a very good level of understanding. They are very grateful also, and in return I am given back the respect that any PERSON should expect in return under the circumstances." • On Fridays, out of the blue, I'll have Patti meet me at the job with a Webber grill, charcoal, tortillas and marinated sirloin steak in cilantro and garlic...We fire it up and grill steak tacos for lunch, and if any is left over, we give it to them to take home... I have found knowing the culture from where they came has proved invaluable to our success.

9. Communication • "Try to find an experienced Hispanic person that has experience in the industry and is bilingual…The key is that they need to be respected as a people just like the rest of your workforce. That is very hard to communicate if you don't speak their language." • Give English classes, don't make them mandatory, but tie the curriculum to employee position & pay advancement. Cover daily life things like banks, post offices, things to do, driver license study sessions, reading, writing, basic math and a lot of company specific topics related to field services and paperwork. Create a curriculum for your own company to suite your needs. • Even if you just say a word or two in Spanish, they will appreciate you trying. At the same time, perhaps you could help them speak better English. • 'Good morning' (buenasdias!), 'Thank You' (muchas gracias), 'It is good' (estabien). • Learn to say their name correctly.(comoteyama);Ask about their family, married, kids, ect. (tea-NAY esposah E neenyos?). • History where they lived, (dondayveavey?). What they did for work (K trabaho?). Even if you don't understand, try to. • Get Spanish Phrases For Landscape Professionals* and/or a Spanish/English Dictionary for translating words and phrases. • Use lots of hand language, they can understand more by your motions than most English speaking people do by listening. • Use tones in your voice without words, it means more. • Go to your computer, pull up www.altavista.com; click translate page, hit the English to Spanish button, then Spanish to English.

10. Tips on Culture; • "Never put El Salvadorians on the same crew as Mexicans...For some reason, there is a glitch between the two cultures, and they won't work well together." • "Let them listen to Spanish radio, they will be more comfortable and you will get used to them faster also." • " The Mexican work week is 48 hours. Remember this when scheduling...I have found it is far better to let them work OT as long as it is recovered in your bids for work." • "Working them that extra day (Sat.) is one way for them to stay busy and (self-perceived useful). This is not about OVERTIME… the guys will work elsewhere unless you pay them enough… or you keep them too busy for them to look elsewhere for supplemental stuff." • "When one has to leave suddenly, like, says my father is ill, and poof is gone, try to understand that in the Mexican culture, ALL family members are called together to make life and death decisions about family matters..." • "Try not to get too mad when they wipe their rear ends, and place the paper in the waste basket next to the toilet; in Mexico, the plumbing pipes are like 2" all the way to the street main and that is what they do there." • "My guys do much better when they are paired up with family members… It seems that if you tell a family member that there family member is not doing work up to par, that they will make sure they cover for them, if need be."

11. Process – How to File • Prevailing Wage Determination – 9141 • Run job order and newspaper advertisements • (Local Workforce Agency) • Prepare recruitment report and ETA 9142 then submit. • With approval, proceed to file USCIS Form I-129 Petition for Visas. • Schedule interviews at consulate in Mexico

12. Links • http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/h-2b.cfm • http://www.uscis.gov • http://www.fewaglobal.org