Obama Imports Crab Pickers, Oyster Shuckers to Maryland

Maryland seafood industry to benefit from Obama’s new H-2B visa provisions

Legislation signed by president Barack Obama on Dec. 23 includes a provision to allow companies to stagger the use of seasonal foreign workers using the US H-2B isaisa program.

This will support harvests during peak periods, and without this provision, Maryland’s seafood businesses would be required to bring all H-2B visa workers here at the same time, creating costly burdens, US Senator Barbara Mikulski said in a release.

“Maryland’s seafood industry is critical for jobs on the Eastern Shore and for our way of life,” Mikulski, who is chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and worked to get the provision included in the newly-passed legislation, said. “From harvesting crabs to shucking oysters, temporary and seasonal workers ensure Maryland’s seafood industry continues to prosper. By staggering the work periods of these seasonal employees, businesses can get the help they need when they need it.”

Traditionally, a group of black women on the Eastern Shore was the labor force responsible for picking most of the crab on the Eastern Shore.

However, in recent years, either the women, or their children, are not as willing to pick crab for the wages offered, or migrant workers have underbid them. I presume that relatively generous welfare payments contributed to the change.