With Michigan’s unemployment rate at 7.2% why are they having trouble getting U.S. workers?

This post has now been put at the top, at least for a little while.  The comments are coming in and I want them to keep coming in.  This is something that desperately needs to be discussed.  NOW, discuss.

This is a quote I found in a citizen journalist article from digitaljournal.com. I am busy trying to find the letter i had once seen from US Representative Bart Stupak (D Mich 1st Dist) to Nancy Pelosi. Can’t find it, but it does exist. Anyhoo, I found this article.

Fewer foreign workers allowed in Mackinac Island Mich. this year

Posted Mar 30, 2008 by Cynthia T. [Picasso] in Politics | 12 comments | 352 views

Mackinac Island is a famous tourist attraction that relies on hundreds of foreign workers every summer. Seasonal business owners are now scrambling to fill the spots as many of the workers are not being allowed to return.

They’re not trying to hard. Check out “how many” Help Wanted Ads Mac Isle businesses have placed in the St. Ignace News, or actually haven’t. There is 23 total ads looking for employees in the area. Only 5 are for the island. One is for a massage therapist, the other is for a nanny. I hope this is merely because the employers are waiting ’til time gets closer to “opening season.” As I have heard many of the store, restaurant and hotel owners have just now arrived the island to spring clean to open up. According to urban legend, right now all anyone has to do is show up and say they want a job and they’ve got it. Supposedly, if you want ten jobs, you’ve got ‘em.

MACKINAC ISLAND MICHIGAN–Last fall the H2B program was cut in half by Congress leaving many foreign workers unable to return to their summer jobs at many resorts including Mackinac Island.

Last fall Congress let an exemption lapse that had allowed some past visa holders to return to their old employers each year.

Even though the requests for visas from employers has mushroomed since 2002 in 1990 the the H2B visas were capped at 66,000 a year.

In 2004 Congress had allowed returning workers to be exempt from the cap. Last year more than 120,000 H2B visas were granted. The exemption expired in Sept. and Congress would not renew it. Among those hurt by the change are ski resorts in Colorado, crabmeat processors in Maryland, hotels on Cape Cod and landscapers in Ohio and Michigan.

Well at least Congress has done something good.

As reported in freep.com

“We will weather the storm, but it’s very, very difficult to make it work,” said Dan Musser, whose family owns Mackinac’s iconic Grand Hotel.

Out of the 650 people hired by the Grand Hotel each season about 375 are there on H2B visas. Even though some of them have worked there for decades none of them can return this year.

Musser said,

“It’s potentially devastating to all of us seasonal business owners.”

Musser is hoping to fill the number of workers that are needed by using two other types of visas. Plus being able to borrow H2B workers from hotels in Arizona, California and Colorado who had managed to get workers under the cap last winter.

Musser added

“The staff that guests have gotten to know over the years are not going to be there, we pride ourselves on service, and this will be a challenge.”

Why is Mr. Musser going out of his way to find employees out of state? And why must those employees be non-Americans? Oh, according to an urban legend, this is not the most assinine thing Mr. Musser has said. When he testified in front of Congress to beg for his precious Jamaicans, he said that Jamaicans are the best waiters in the world and his hotel can not function without them. Hear that Americans and Yoopers. He doesn’t think you can do a good job. Everyone say it with me, (smart-ass tone of voice) “THANK YOU MR. MUSSER!” Has anyone out there been to the island? You have to pay double or even triple the price for piddly things like a coke and burger. Hotel rates are exhoborent. I know, I know it’s the ambiance. The hotels out there are not Holiday Inn. But when compared to other bed and breakfasts of similar style, they are much higher rates. None of these hotel owners are suffering if they hire locals. Has anyone tried making a hotel reservation on the island and had to try to explain to a Jamaican that you want to reserve a room? Oh what fun.

Jam: Hello. (Doesn’t mention the hotel name)

Caller: Is this “ABC Hotel”?

Jam: Yes. What you want?

Caller: Yes, I would like to reserve a room.

Jam: What? What you want?

Caller: I would like to reserve a room.

Jam: OK, we keep room for you. (Doesn’t ask my name. Doesn’t ask when I would like to stay. WTF?)

Caller: What type of rooms do have? What are the rates? Do you have any rooms available for (fill in date).

Jam: We have nice rooms.

Caller: Thanks, I will call back later. (Don’t call back)

Not everyone is sympathetic with those who cannot get foreign workers.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that supports tighter controls on immigration said,

“There’s no reason to have H2B visas at all,”
“It’s based on the premise that there are jobs Americans won’t do. It’s absurd. “Employers need to increase wages, change benefits or come up with new ways of recruiting.”

That’s right, it is absurd. I am sick of hearing politicians from both sides saying “They’re taking jobs that Americans won’t do.” Maybe, just maybe, if we pull the rug out from under the welfare recipients, maybe just maybe there will be Americans willing to work any job that will put food in their mouths. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me.

With Michigan’s unemployment rate at 7.2% why are they having trouble getting U.S. workers?

This is my fave from the article.

What the employers all across the island are saying there are few people who are unemployed that want to relocate to the island to take a job that will only last for half of the year. There is little housing and especially for families. For those who are in high school or college they don’t want a summer job waiting tables and cleaning. What they prefer are internships.

Let’s all be picky now about what we will do and won’t do. Work ethics need to be brought back into this country. There are quite a few people in the Straits area who wouldn’t even need to relocate. Some of the people in the Straits area could take on a part-time Summer job to help with rising fuel and food costs. There’s housing available. You just will be stuffed in like sardines. From what I have heard about Jamaican housing, 16 to 20 will be stuffed into a four bedroom house.

Mary McGuire Slevin, director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau said that they need workers who can arrive early and stay late.

The season used to last only June, July and August so students and teachers could be hired.

Now the island has visitors from late April to November. H2B workers can work all of those months but students and teachers are unable to do so.
Students are hired for the peak months but the H2B workers are the ones that open up the hotels in early spring and help close them after Halloween.

Here’s my solution to the students needing to leave early. It’s just a dumb theory, but it is a solution nonetheless. There are contractor guys in the area who get laid off in the fall and collect unemployment, about $750 every other week. When the painting, flooring, remodeling and etc. jobs dry up. They can extend their working time and not collect unemployment as early by closing up the businesses. This would save the taxpayers a little money. But what do I know?

Read the full article here.