Input on foreign labor sought at hearing

    AUGUSTA — Maine Senator Troy Jackson, D-Aroostook County, is encouraging the public to attend a public hearing to provide comments on draft rules he hopes will help put a stop to logging companies who hire foreign workers for jobs that can be done by Maine workers. The hearing is sponsored by the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) and will be held Friday, December 18, 2009 at the Fort Kent Town Hall at 1:00 p.m.     “Logging in the Maine woods is hard work, but the challenge gets even tougher when skilled Maine workers see opportunities slip away because some companies bypass state and federal laws for foreign labor,” Senator Jackson said.
    “The proposed rules seek to enhance legislation I sponsored that protects the interests of Maine workers and loggers by requiring new reporting and identification procedures by employers to law enforcement officials. I am hopeful these new rules will have a strong impact on the visibly wrong labor practices some companies have demonstrated while using foreign labor and equipment in the Maine woods,” Senator Jackson added.
    Maine state law requires logging companies to provide proof of ownership of any logging equipment operated by H-2A workers in Maine. Legislation sponsored by Senator Jackson during the last legislative session, increases penalties for violations of the law and adds the requirement that the proof of ownership be carried with the equipment and provided upon request to law enforcement officials.