MARYLAND - In early May, A E Phillips & Son should be bustling with 30 workers that are picking crabs, processing them, and canning the meat. According to general manager, Morgan Tolley, some have done the job for more than 20 years.
However, Tolley, like most Seafood company employees on the Eastern Shore, is worried it will look similar to what it does now -- empty."Right now anybody handling crab meat is really nervous."
The workers are able to come to the United States seasonally though the H-2B visa program. In Maryland, the workers are mostly used for crab-picking.
However, a court order, set to go into effect April 15th, could force businesses like A E Phillips and Son to make expensive changes. A District Court in Florida recently ruled that Congress never granted the Department of Labor the authority to certify employers for the program. The ruling comes after concerns over out-sourcing American jobs due to cheaper labor.
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