### Rising Use of H-2A Workers Stirs Concern Among Quincy Farm Laborers

In Quincy, Washington, a town of about 8,000 surrounded by expansive orchards, agriculture is a way of life. Its bustling heart is defined by downtown packing sheds and train tracks near the Columbia River, crucial for transporting produce. Farm workers like Alberto, who has chosen to use only his first name for privacy, form the backbone of this industry. Once a traveling migrant worker, Alberto now lives permanently in Quincy, enjoying stable, year-round work on various local farms. However, recent trends in agricultural employment have sparked concern among domestic laborers.

Alberto and his peers are facing increasing competition from H-2A workers—foreign agricultural laborers permitted to work in the United States temporarily under a program created in the late 1980s. The program, run by the Department of Labor and expanded notably during the Trump administration, allows growers to fill labor shortages with migrant workers. Employers, however, must first prove they could not find enough local labor before being certified to hire H-2A workers. Critics claim that this requirement is often bypassed through ineffective job advertisements, making it easier to justify hiring foreign workers.

The number of H-2A workers in Grant County, where Quincy is located, has seen a marked increase. In 2023 alone, the county had 1,965 certified H-2A guest workers, a significant rise from previous years. Statewide, Washington hosted 30,664 certified H-2A workers this year, compared to 15,123 in 2014. This trend mirrors the national uptick in H-2A employment, despite the high cost for farms—estimated at $15,000 or more per worker per season, which covers housing, transportation, and food.

Farm workers like Alberto have felt the impact firsthand. Until April, he worked for a large flower farm but saw his hours reduced as his employer hired more H-2A workers. Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, an economist at North Carolina State University, notes that the H-2A program has spread across the country due to the declining local farm labor supply and an aging workforce less inclined to farm work.

Local organizations like Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) and Community to Community (C2C) are stepping up their efforts to combat the displacement of domestic workers. FUJ, an independent labor union, educates workers on their rights and has successfully unified both local and H-2A workers. C2C's executive director Rosalinda Guillen emphasizes that communities often find themselves blindsided by the sudden influx of guest workers, leading to job losses and decreased earning power for local laborers.

Alberto continues to support his family by harvesting blueberries, but he remains wary of the future. Local advocates, like Alfredo Juarez of FUJ, argue that a coalition between domestic and guest workers is essential for improving working conditions and preserving jobs. Yet, amid mounting political pressures and the relentless growth of the H-2A program, workers like Alberto are left questioning their role in an industry they've sustained for years.