A hurricane destroyed their homes in Jamaica. Now they face losing the jobs they relied on in the US | US immigration

Farm employee Owen Salmon has picked apples in upstate New York for nearly a decade, some 1,500 miles (2,400km) from dwelling. Within the midst of harvest season this yr, Hurricane Melissa, a record-breaking class 5 hurricane, made landfall in Jamaica.“It was terrifying,” mentioned Salmon, whose spouse and two kids have been at dwelling close to Black River, a city on the nation’s south-western coast. “For days, I couldn’t hear from them. Once I lastly did, I heard my roof was fully gone. My spouse and children needed to run for his or her lives, however thank God they’re alive.”An estimated 90,000 households and 360,000 folks have been affected by the harm wrought by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. Salmon is one in every of roughly 5,000 Jamaican employees who come to the US every year on an H-2A visa.The H-2A visitor employee visa program permits US farms and agricultural corporations to rent overseas employees for momentary jobs. It performs a big function within the US’s agriculture trade, which stays reliant on abroad labor at essential factors on the calendar: final yr, greater than 380,000 employees have been approved for H-2A visas, about 15% of the US agricultural workforce.“Our boss, he would inform us he likes the H-2A program since you might be there this yr and subsequent yr he doesn’t should deliver us again,” mentioned Salmon, who works at Wafler Farms in Wolcott, New York. “He threatened us if we didn’t work quick, and there was no person to cease him.”“Dozens of employees” who “did nothing flawed” haven’t been in a position to return from one yr to the subsequent, Salmon claimed. Wafler Farms denied this, claiming they’ve by no means not recalled employees however are “required to actively recruit US employees and are required to supply any positions to them earlier than we rent a employee by way of the H-2A program”.Salmon is one in every of a number of New York farm employees represented by the United Farm Employees, which has launched a fundraiser to rebuild their properties, and people of different union employees hit by the hurricane.“I got here dwelling to see what was happening, and every little thing was gone. No home, nothing,” mentioned Damian, a H-2A farm employee from Jamaica who has labored at Cahoon Farms in Wolcott, New York. Apprehensive about his US work standing, he declined to offer his surname. “It’s one thing that took 20 to 30 years to construct, and in just some hours, it’s gone now.”Per week earlier than the storm, Damian’s spouse had a child. He mentioned he has struggled to look after his household since flying dwelling within the aftermath of the hurricane. “Right here, in case you don’t have a job, what are you presupposed to do? I’m simply hoping for the very best,” he mentioned. “It’s horrible.”Marley, who additionally declined to offer his surname, has labored at Cahoon Farms in New York since 2018, alongside Damian. He was there when the storm hit Jamaica, the place his mom and youngsters dwell.“I used to be simply hoping and praying that I might attain dwelling earlier than the storm,” mentioned Marley. “Once I heard my dwelling was destroyed, I used to be devastated.”He has since made it again to Jamaica, however has been unable to get in contact with dozens of mates and colleagues.Experiences of worth gouging have materialized because the hurricane. Marley mentioned his household has grappled with worth hikes on meals, with a number of staples similar to flour nonetheless unavailable.“It’s not simple,” he mentioned. “Most of my mates, I can’t get in contact with them, and I nonetheless really feel for them. And I’m not going to be snug until I hear from all of these guys.”Many of the roofs on properties in Salmon’s group within the Black River space of Jamaica are gone, Salmon mentioned. Constructing supplies are costly – and have soared in value because the hurricane.Yearly, he mentioned, farm employees from Jamaica go away their properties and households to work on US farms, typically for low wages and in poor working circumstances.In 2022, Salmon and his co-workers unionized. A Wayne county choose just lately upheld the New York state labor board choice to certify the union, because the employer had argued that H-2A visitor employees couldn’t unionize whereas refusing to acknowledge the union.Following the ruling, Wafler Farms has “begun coordinating with the UFW to maneuver ahead with the implementation of the bargaining settlement”, a spokesperson mentioned.“Concerning Hurricane Melissa, we acknowledge the devastating impression it had on Jamaica and its folks, with widespread harm to properties throughout the island,” they added. “Within the aftermath of the storm, Wafler Farms made donations to a number of respected humanitarian organizations actively concerned in housing restoration and group help.“We additionally shared details about these organizations with our employees so they might entry help in the event that they or their households have been affected. We perceive that some employees created a GoFundMe marketing campaign upon returning to Jamaica to additional help with rebuilding efforts. We encourage anybody who needs to contribute to take action by way of the avenue they really feel will finest help the restoration course of.”Cahoon Farms didn’t reply to requests for remark.