ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) — For years, local vineyards, farms and orchards have had to turn to foreign workers to get through peak planting and harvesting season.
Those familiar with the federal H-2A program say as the economy continues to thrive, the need for these types of workers will only increase.
Barboursville Vineyards has a reputation for producing some of Virginia’s top wines.
The 900-acre estate, 185 of which is laced with vines, produces 20 wines.
“To make the better wines, we have to allocate more time and handwork; very specific handwork,” winemaker and general manager at Barboursville Vineyards, Luca Paschina said.
Paschina has been with the vineyard for 28 years. He describes the winemaking process as very complex and considers it
“The season starts in winter, in early January where we have to prune every single vine, and we have 150,000,” he said.
This means they need skilled workers willing to put in the long hours to perform and strenuous manual labor required to maintain the vines.
For about 20 years, Barboursville has had to turn to foreign workers because they’re unable to find Americans willing to pick and prune their vines.
The federal H-2A program allows agriculture employers to hire seasonal workers for different countries.
“It would be hard to function if the program was not existing,” Paschina said.
Barboursville hires up to 16 workers a season.
It’s not the only in the area that outsource labor to keep the business running: Trump Winery, Horton Vineyards, Early Mountain Vineyards, Dickie Bros. Orchard, and Crown Orchard also rely on the program.
Demands for the workers have increased in Virginia throughout recent years. In 2013, employers applied for more than 2,600 workers and overtime increased to more than 3,400 in 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Kerry Scott, program manager of masLabor, an agency that works with employers on labor services, says the need for foreign workers will go up around the country as the economy improves.
“We’re filling jobs that we’ve attempted to fill but are unable to,” Scott said.
Utilizing the program is a very pricey and an extensive process. First employers advertise the jobs in three states and with the Virginia Employment Commission to prove there’s a need for seasonal labor they’re unable to find.
“There’s huge protections built in this program for American workers,” Scott said.
They must also provide housing, transportation, and pay workers an hourly rate above the minimum wage.
“Employers do not do this program to save money. They do it to stay in business,” said Scott.
Scott adds that not only are the visas helping employers, but it’s also keeping agriculture businesses at home in the U.S. and Americans employed.
“Each job filled by an H-2A visa supports 4.4 U.S. jobs in that enterprise or related to that enterprise. It’s making it possible for an employer that stays in business to provide jobs for all these other people,” Scott said.
Workers do not stay in the U.S. permanently. They return home once their contract is done. Many are often invited back. Barboursville says a number of its workers have been with coming back for 10 years.
