The Borderland Press - June 30, 2023

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Congressional, legal action may lessen impact By Michael Standaert | North Dakota News Cooperative

Sickler supplements his staff with three workers from South Africa who travel to North Dakota on H-2A visas for seasonal spring through autumn work then return home in the winter. Most of the time the visa workers are involved in normal farm labor, from baling hay to tending to cattle. Occasionally, they drive a truck or haul grain, hay, or cattle to pasture for an hour or so. This is where the rule changes could really bite.

Sports: Smash Bash! Demolition Derby returns to Walhalla, Pg. B3

Fourth of July: Impress guests with homemade burgers, Pg. B4

Technically workers engaged in any truck driving could now be reclassified under a specialization as drivers instead of general laborers. This means that their wages could increase from around $17 per hour up to $27 per hour - not just for the time behind the wheel but for the entire season. “Unfortunately, that’s one of the highest wages that the Department of Labor has put in, especially for North Dakota, so it would be extremely detrimental,” Sickler said. “If we would fall into those categories, I mean we would have to really evaluate how we have our employees work or whether the H-2A program is even viable anymore.” The DOL has run the H-2A program since 1987 to help fill agricultural workforce needs. It has largely been seen as beneficial for both farmers and temporary workers who make wages at a higher level than in their home countries. There have also been occasional issues with inadequate housing, poor treatment and wage theft in some parts of the coun-

It’s an event 175 years in the making - Walhalla’s 175th Celebration is finally here! Pg. B8

try, particularly related to workers sourced from Mexico or other Latin American countries. Last December, the department increased the basic wage rate and made the changes currently opposed by many farmers at the end of February this year that specified types of employment that should be paid at a higher wage, including driving trucks. Nationally, the average basic wage rate is $16.13 per hour, with the highest in California at $18.65 and the lowest, $13.67, in a belt of southern states stretching from South Carolina to Louisiana. North Dakota’s basic rate now stands at $17.33 per hour. Dependency rises The wage increases also come as North Dakota farmers are more dependent on seasonal foreign workers. According to data provided by Job Service North Dakota, the number of applications from farmers and the total number of H-2A visa workers have steadily risen the past three years. Applications from farms jumped from 736 in 2021 to 979 for the current period of 2023, which runs through the end of September. The number of workers also increased from 2,444 in 2021 to a current 3,155. Nationally, there were more than 372,000 H-2A workers in the U.S. in 2022, a sharp rise from the 75,000 temporarily employed in 2010. Dawn Mandt, executive director of the Red River Regional Council, which concentrates on community and economic development in Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh counties, said she’s noticed farmers in her region addressing their workforce needs through the H-2A visa program in recent years. “It’s really on a steady incline,” Mandt

Darla Roder accepted the Outstanding Rural Health Professional award at an awards ceremony on June 15.

Index:

News Agriculture Opinion Community

Grand Forks, N.D. – Darla Roder, compliance officer and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Langdon Prairie Health, accepted the Outstanding Rural Health Professional award at the 2023 Rural and Public Health Awards Banquet, which recognized outstanding North Dakota rural health and public health advocates for their accomplishments.

Roder has spent 30 years providing healthcare leadership in small North Dakota communities. She has worked as a compliance officer, COO, and interim CEO at Langdon Prairie Health, as well as nurse and clinic manager. During her time at Langdon Prairie Health, Roder has led the organization in joining an Accountable Care Organization and implementing a value-based care system. Under her guidance, the facility was recently recognized as #1 in a five-state region for Medicare patient outcomes and improved clinical experience.

said of the reliance on the program. The program isn’t necessarily taking away work opportunities from locals. It is, however, biting into housing stock. “There’s an impact that it is having more broadly on communities, because farmers are required to provide housing [to H-2A workers], so we literally have no housing available anymore,” Mandt said. In the four counties her organization covers, applications have jumped from 91 in 2021 to 145 in the current 2023 period, while H-2A worker numbers have increased from 323 to 534 in that time frame as well. Potential reversal The DOL is currently facing two lawsuits aimed at blocking the changes. One is from the National Council of Agricultural Employers and another from USA Farm Labor, Inc., the latter one of the primary agencies arranging

H-2A visa workers for farmers in North Dakota. Another potential action is a Congressional Review Act resolution introduced by around two-dozen U.S. senators, including North Dakota’s Kevin Cramer, in April that could temporarily pause the changes until further review. A spokesperson for Cramer indicated that the vote could occur soon, but no date had been nailed down. USA Farm Labor mainly connects farm workers from South Africa with farmers looking for workers and works with around two dozen clients in North Dakota. The agency has traditionally been a go-to for those migrant workers during what would be their off-season in the southern hemisphere. Alex Cracchiolo, USA Farm Labor spokesperson, said the main issue with the DOL rule changes entails the classifications that could bump a cont’d. on page 2

Church/Obituaries Pages A8 - A9 Classifieds Page A9 Public Notices Pages A11 - A12 Sports Pages B1 - B3

Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site, located 1.5 miles northeast of Walhalla, will host Gingras Days activities July 1 to 3 in conjunction with Walhalla’s 175th anniversary celebration. All activities are free, and all ages are welcome. On July 1 and 2, the Gingras house and trading post will be open for guided tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On July 1 Métis fiddler Ryan Keplin will perform from 1 to 4 p.m. The Belcourt native’s shows are a mixture of fiddle music and singing. Multiple vendors will offer selections of Métis craftsmanship. On July 2 visitors can try playing a variety of historical games from 10

a.m.-5 p.m. On July 3 the newly restored Kittson trading post at Walhalla State Historic Site will be open for free tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Kittson cabin was constructed about 1852 by Norman Kittson, with a major restoration just completed. Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site and the Walhalla State Historic Site are managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The grounds of both are open yearround. For more information, contact Jeff Blanchard, 701.825.6840. Find additional programs at history. nd.gov/events.

“Darla has shown she is willing to step up to the plate anytime she is called upon to help our organization,” said Maria Eisenzimmer, clinic manager and population health nurse at Langdon Prairie Health. “Her compassion and accountability inspire everyone who has the privilege of working with her.”

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Brothers Ryan Kemp,, 23 and Richard Kemp, 19, workers from South Africa on H-2A visas, prepare an old grain bin for transfer to another section of Stephanie Hatzenbuhler’s ranch just west of Mandan. Photo by Michael Standaert.

Roder receives Outstanding Rural Health Gingras Days Celebration in conjunction Professional award with Walhalla’s 175th anniversary This award is presented to a professional located in rural North Dakota who has demonstrated leadership in the delivery of rural health services and is unselfishly committed to making a significant and sustained impact on the health of their community and service area. The awards banquet was held June 15 in Bismarck.

Thunderhead seen from the Borderland Press offices early Tuesday evening, June 20. Portions of northwest Cavalier County experienced a sudden severe thunderstorm, which passed close to, but never entered Langdon.

Volume 2, Number 25

Changes to H-2A visa program wage rates expected to hit N.D. farmers For farmers like Dunn County’s Lenci Sickler, recent U.S. Department of Labor rule changes that alter the pay rates for temporary seasonal foreign workers could cause his labor costs to skyrocket unless they are rescinded.

Opinion: Bob’s Big Adventure: Time for another installment of The Big Trip, Pg. A5

Friday, June 30, 2023

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HOLIDAY DEADLINES: high 79 low 52

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Ad reservation deadline for July Editorial deadline is Noon on 7 issue is 5 p.m. Friday, 30. Monday, July 3.


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