by Martin Kidston, Missoulian
A proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor to change policies governing foreign agricultural workers – including sheepherders – has left the Montanan Department of Labor and Industry busy answering questions from state ranchers.
This week, western Montana rancher John Stahl voiced concern that a proposed federal policy change would jeopardize his sheep grazing project on Missoula’s open space and cost his hired hand – Enrique Marquez Banda – his job.
Jenny Harris, the foreign labor contract manager with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, said the federal rule changes have generated new questions and more confusion over what they may or may not include when they're released April 15.
Some ranchers, like Stahl, fear the changes would no longer allow them to pay their workers a monthly salary. Rather, they'd be required to pay their foreign workers $8.05 an hour when on the job, which runs 24 hours a day.
CLICK HERE to read the full article
Source: Missoulian
