With the current administration in Washington, D.C. looking at making cuts to the J1 Exchange Visitors Program and curtailing the H2-B foreign worker visa program, concern among area employers has been growing. Together the programs provide Cook County with 400 to 500 workers per year. Without those employees, businesses would have to cut hours and possible services to meet the demands of the growing influx of visitors to our area.
At the October 5 meeting of the Cook County Chamber, former Gunflint Lodge owner Bruce Kerfoot presented less-than-optimistic information about what he sees in the future for international workers. Over the years Kerfoot employed and recruited many foreign workers, especially through peak summer seasons, to help at the lodge.
Chamber members attending agreed challenges to find labor are not getting easier, and they recognized the need to be proactive in light of what is being said in Washington.
Cook County/Grand Marais EDA Director Mary Somnis is organizing a meeting to kick off the work on Plan B. If you are interested in attending, the meeting will be held Monday, October 23, 11:30 – 1:30 p.m. at Grand Marais City Hall. Bring your lunch.
“We’ll talk about how to organize ourselves to address this need,” Somnis said. “A coordinated plan will be more successful. Before this meeting has ended, someone needs to ‘raise their hand’ to chair or co-chair these efforts. Looking forward to seeing you there.”
Plan B
If the student J1 visa program ends or is cut back, and if the H2-B program isn’t brought back to the numbers of workers it once provided, Cook County will need to find another way to get people to come here to take jobs the county can’t fill. So what can be done?
It was agreed at the October 5 meeting to begin making a Plan B to attract workers.
A coordinated action plan to look for workers (other than the
international option) brought forth some ideas which include:
. Invite workers from western ski areas to come here for the summer.
. Look for small towns with high unemployment.
. Raise rates and wages to attract workers.
. Search Texas and Florida and the Caribbean where many hospitality
workers may be unemployed right now.
. Research grant funding to help address this issue.
. Search websites such as Cool Works.
. Find seasonal dude ranches in Arizona and bring workers here in their
off-season.
. Invite the RV crowd.
. First Nations.
. Cook County job fairs at colleges and universities.
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