Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. X X V O C T O B E R 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 30 T R A N S P O R TAT I O N / I N F R A S T R U C T U R E F O C U S "Historically, at the inception of the program, there were people involved who had already been sourcing workers in Jamaica," he says. "So there is a bond, at least in the Northeast. On some Maine farms, Jamaican workers have been coming for 20 years. It's the same thing for Mexico, except it's usually by word of mouth —'I have a cousin in my hometown. Can we bring him in?'" Another big traveling cohort comes through the H2-B temporary non- agricultural worker program, bringing people from all over the world to work mainly in hospitality, but also other industries such as seafood processing and light forestry. In 2015, 123 employ- ers fi led for 2,507 openings. e two temporary worker programs are essential for Maine, says Acero. "Farms say they can't fi nd local people who will stay on through the season," he says. "Sometimes they start at the beginning of the season, but they don't go back. And in the hospitality industry, they say they just can't fi nd enough people to fi ll their need. ere are so many restau- rants and hotels from Kittery to Bar Harbor that it's pretty diffi cult." Air travel is cheaper than hiring new workers Smith's Farm in Presque Isle employs both migrant and guest workers. A large grower of broccoli and other produce, Smith's has several operations outside of Maine, so air transportation is involved. e company fl ies about 100 migrant workers at a time from California to Boston in July for the broccoli harvest. In Boston, the group boards fi ve charter buses that take them directly to the farm. e group fl ies back to California in October, then Florida in November, back to California in the middle of April, then California again at the end of April or the fi rst of May. e company pays all transportation and associated costs. Company President Emily Smith has big props for the travel companies that assist, especially Cyr Bus Line in Old Town and Crown Travel in Presque Isle. Logistical challenges include sync- ing up travel times with the harvest, especially during busy tourist seasons. "We've learned what works and what doesn't and how to streamline the process," says Smith. Many migrants have worked at Smith's Farm 20 to 30 years. "We have some well-traveled crew members who have made the trip many times," says Smith. Smith also began using the H2-A program two years ago to employ people from Mexico. e company now has many returnees. "We have such a large base of peo- ple from California who have family in Mexico, it made sense to bring in family members," Smith says. at transportation process takes time. Employees go to the U.S. con- sulate for a visa, which takes two to three days to clear. e company pays for the interview and visa, and for the employee's time, transportation costs from hometown to consulate, and hotel costs in the consulate city. e company charters buses from the con- sulate city to Maine, with food and hotel costs paid. Charter bus compa- nies, mainly in Texas, work with farms to see if trips can be batched together, which sometimes helps mitigate expenses, says Smith. L S , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n B a s s H a r b o r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Got a lot on your plate? Join us for breakfast. NEED EMPLOYEES? NEED HIRING INCENTIVES? NEED TRAINING? The Maine Department of Labor and its Workforce Partners are hosting the Maine-at-Work Executive Breakfast to showcase a range of resources to address workforce challenges. Hear how Cianbro, Alere, MaineGeneral Medical Center and others used these services to create solutions. Join us for the Maine-at-Work Breakfast Momentum Convention Augusta Civic Center 7:30am-9:00am November 9, 2016 $25 includes breakfast Register at: www.MaineAtWorkInitiativeExecutiveBreakfast.eventbrite.com www.maine.gov/maineatwork Initiative Maine-at-Work P H O T O / L E S L I E BOW M A N April Norton, director of human resources at Wyman's of Maine, watches a full-time crew of workers from Mexico and Honduras clearing fi elds.

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