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(Para una versión en español, haga clic aquí.)
Agricultural and Foreign Labor Services outreach adventures
Farmworker Appreciation Day Event
July brought innovative ways to locate and contact MSFWs, allowing Agricultural Employment Liaisons (AELs) to deliver employment and training information onsite via different Farmworker Appreciation Day events and by attending several different employer orientations.
Many thanks to our partners and agricultural employers who’ve been exceptional to work with. The Farmworker Appreciation Day Event 2024 was a success again this year, with AELs Jose Barco, Trina Luevano and Julia Briones collaborating with partner agencies to assist hundreds of farmworkers, their families and farmers.
Appreciation Event at Buurma Farm
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On July 20, AELs collaborated with Great Lakes Migrant Resource Council and many other agencies to share resources with more than 150 farmworkers at Buurma Farm in Gregory, Michigan.
AELs in attendance provided workers with information about services available through their local Michigan Works! Service Center, and information about worker rights and support service agencies. Dental and medical services were provided by Great Lakes Bay Health Centers and the El Paisa Del Norte migrant services team. Everyone had a great time playing games and enjoyed an excellent meal provided by Michigan State University students.
The workers also received clothes donations, gift cards and many other prizes, thanks to donations from the Korean Presbyterian Church of Metro Detroit, Telamon, Migrant Student Services at MSU, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Migrant Education Harvest of Hope, Ingham County Health Department, Casa de Rosado Galeria and Cultural Center, Voces de la Comunidad, Farmworker Legal Services and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.
2024 Migrant Health Fair in Lenawee County
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Thanks to the participation of 20 service providers, agencies, sponsors, donors and volunteers, the 2024 Migrant Health Fair was able to provide vital information, entertainment and delicious food to approximately 60 farmworkers of Lenawee and Jackson Counties.
During the event, held at Blissfield Middle School, attendees took a moment to honor the late AEL Patricia Gray, who passed away on June 28. Patricia was recognized for her hard work and dedication to the farmworker community of Lenawee County. She left a legacy of love and dedication for those needing help and assistance.
Special thanks to organizers Ada Rodriguez, from the Community Action Agency Migrant Program, Rudy Flores, Chairman of Southeastern Michigan Migrant Resources Council, and Doctors of University of Michigan. Their collaboration made it possible to assist all migrants who attended the event with free medical assistance.
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AFLS team holds quarterly training
On July 10, the Agricultural Employment Services team met in person at the Holland Michigan Works! Service Center for refresher training to help them be more effective this harvesting season. Program managers provided trainings on the Employment Service complaint system and apparent violations, emphasizing the importance of being observant when visiting farmworkers where they live and work. Staff also received a refresher on the role of the Outreach Worker, reminding AELs the importance of recording all the outreach services they provide MSFWs.
The team has had a busy past four months, contacting more than 3,000 MSFWs just in July!
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Find free & low-cost adult education programs
Discover the hundreds of Adult Education programs and high school equivalency testing centers located throughout Michigan that are available to help you.
Want to find a program near you that offers free or low-cost adult education services? Use the Adult Services Locator on the Adult Education website and select a city or ZIP code near you to discover your options.
If you have any questions or need assistance finding the Adult Services you need, contact the Adult Services staff at 517-335-5858.
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Resources to help you on your job search
Discover seasonal jobs or temporary jobs
SeasonalJobs.dol.gov is an online platform that links people to seasonal and temporary employment opportunities throughout the United States.
Whether you’re looking for seasonal work or require a short-term job, the website assists you in finding suitable employment.
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Explore Michigan's Hot 50 Job Outlook
The Michigan Hot 50 Job Outlook through 2030 highlights Michigan’s high-demand, high-wage careers that show a favorable mix of projected long-term job growth, projected annual job openings, and median wages through 2030.
Explore the publication here.
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Updates from the Office of Foreign Labor Services
Ensuring Fair Practices: H-2A Post-Certification Site Visits
The Office of Foreign Labor Services has been conducting post-certification site visits to ensure that H-2A visa programs are upholding their commitments. These visits, like the recent ones in Van Buren and St. Joseph Counties, play a crucial role in verifying compliance with labor standards and safeguarding worker rights.
During the visits, the OFLS team members connect with employers and workers to discuss program requirements, including safe and clean housing, fair wages, and proper working conditions.
These site visits are essential in maintaining the integrity of the H-2A program, ensuring both workers and employers adhere to agreed-upon standards. The commitment to fairness and compliance helps protect the rights of seasonal workers and supports a successful harvest season.
For more information on post certification site visits, click here.
US Department of Labor reminds Michigan employers of responsibilities, temporary workers of rights for safe working conditions, fair wages
As Michigan’s harvest season swings into high gear, the U.S. Department of Labor wants to remind employers of their responsibilities and seasonal workers of their rights under federal law. Every summer and fall, Michigan’s vast fields are filled with agricultural workers hand harvesting the state’s seasonal bounty of crops. Many of those workers come to the U.S. to work for farmers under the federal H-2A temporary visa program.
The H-2A program allows agricultural employers anticipating a shortage of domestic workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature. Michigan is among the top 10 states with employers that regularly hire workers under this program. The state has approximately 975 housing locations with 4,500 living units that could house up to 30,000 workers and their families.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting outreach with advocates and workers throughout the harvest season to educate them on federal laws, including the revised H-2A farmworker protection final rule, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act that set standards for safe and clean housing, transportation and fair wages.
Key protections for H-2A workers include:
- Payment for all recruitment and visa costs.
- Reimbursement for the trip to the job site and payment for the return trip to their home country.
- Free and safe housing, and a sanitary kitchen to prepare meals if meals are not provided.
- Free and safe daily transportation with working safety restraints.
- The opportunity to work at least three-fourths of the hours agreed upon in their contract.
- The right to file a complaint or participate in an investigation without fear of retaliation.
Read the full press release here.
OFLC Announces Final Decommission of the Permanent Online System
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is reminding employers and other interested stakeholders that the legacy Permanent Online System, which provides public access to permanent labor certification applications and final determinations, will be fully decommissioned on December 1, 2024.
As part of the Department's technology modernization initiative, the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) System was implemented to replace the legacy Permanent Online System, to improve customer service, and modernize the administration of foreign labor certification programs.
Starting December 1, 2024, the legacy Permanent Online System will no longer be accessible to account holders and the general public will be redirected to the FLAG System. Stakeholders who require documents from their Permanent Online System accounts are strongly encouraged to access and download those documents well in advance of December 1, 2024.
Permanent Online System account holders who need to upload documents or request a specific case action on an application submitted in the Permanent Online System (e.g., request reconsideration, withdraw applications, etc.) should complete action in the system by November 30, 2024, at 7 p.m. EST.
Updates From the State Monitor Advocate (SMA)
Tour of Hope
On August 6, the State Monitor Advocates, in partnership with federal and local government organizations, came together to celebrate Farmworker Appreciation Day. The event, held at the Hope Workforce Center in Arkansas, was a resounding success, with participants enjoying live music, snacks, and informative sessions on health and education. Hope was chosen as the location for this event due to its historical significance in the journey of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs). From 1960 to 2010, Hope served as a vital resting point for MSFWs traveling between mid-southern states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas) and mid-western states (Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin).
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While the migrant center in Hope is now closed and the flow of MSFWs has diminished from an average of 5,000 per week during the peak season in 1969, the town retains a deep connection to the farmworker community. Michigan’s State Monitor Advocate Gerardo Aranda remembers staying at the center in the mid-60’s while traveling with his family from Weslaco, Texas to Lawrence, Michigan, and AEL Benita Rendon Murray recalls staying at the center when traveling from San Antonio, Texas to eastern Michigan in the early 1960’s as well.
The Arkansas Human Development Corporation generously provided free health screenings for those in attendance. The event was a testament to the hard work and dedication of our farmworkers. It was also an opportunity to bring together key stakeholders and forge partnerships to create a more supportive and equitable environment for farmworkers.
Thanks to Texas and Arkansas SMAs Horacio Lopez Montes and Angelo Zambrano for organizing the well-attended event.
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Indiana SMA Joanna Mejia Attends Michigan Farmworker Event
SMA Gerardo Aranda strives towards collaborating with various agencies and states to better serve MSFWs. He was invited by Nebraska SMA earlier this year to keynote their annual Planting Seeds Conference. He presented at the ETA Vision 2030 conference in Chicago this past winter attended by 18 different states. Aranda also invited Kansas SMA to present at Michigan's pre-season conference in April.
On July 17, Indiana State Monitor Advocate Joanna Mejia accepted Aranda’s invitation to attend Farmworker Appreciation Day at the Van Buren County Youth Fair in Hartford. Joanna met various MSFW service agency staff at the event, and assisted Daniel Oropeza of the United Farmworker Foundation in calling out winning numbers for a free raffle at the event.
Both Aranda and Mejia have seen an increase in number of MSFWs who work and live in both states. Last year, Aranda referred farmworkers who were living in Indiana but working in Michigan to Joanna. They needed blankets and some warm outdoor apparel, which Indiana was able to provide.
Due to the transient nature of migrant farmworkers, building interstate partnerships with other SMAs ensures workers have needed assistance and are well informed of their worker protected rights.
MSFW Outreach Performance, Program Year (PY23) 2023
The Agricultural Employment Services team is comprised of 14 AELs who spend the majority of their workday conducting outreach and visiting MSFWs where they live, gather and/or work. This last Program Year, they contacted 26,679 workers! This number is reflective of the flexibility of the staff and their management working evenings and weekends, which has made it possible to contact approximately 41% of the estimated number of MSFWs in the state.
In addition, the team registered 3,051 MSFWs for career and other services and visited or contacted 2,057 employers while on outreach. In a combined effort, Michigan Works! and AELs reached the goal to provide employment services equal to or greater than those provided to non-MSFWs. The table above identifies that all eight Equity Ratio Indicators were met in Program Year 2023.
Agricultural & Foreign Labor Services
Workforce Development
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
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