12/06/2018

Government proposes to eliminate print newspapers as a vehicle to reach U.S. workers

From the News Media Alliance

The Department of Labor (DOL) issued a notice proposing regulatory revisions to its labor certification program. They want to change the way employers inform United States workers about agriculture and non-agricultural temporary jobs – a requirement they must meet before offering those jobs to nonimmigrant foreign workers under the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. The DOL is proposing to eliminate a requirement that employers notify U.S. workers of available positions through an advertisement in Sunday newspapers of general circulation, “in the area of intended employment,” and replace it with an electronic job posting.

The government’s proposal overlooks the fact that newspapers have long been, and remain today, the primary way in which many millions of U.S. workers receive information, including notices of job opportunities. Further, the government ignores what is common practice today – newspapers routinely arrange for wider distribution of print recruitment ads beyond the Sunday printed edition by posting the same ads on their websites, social media pages and on third-party partner sites, such as Monster, Career Builder and Recruitology.com. The newspaper, in effect, serves as a local agency to ensure the broadest delivery of recruitment ads within an area of intended employment.

The Alliance is baffled that a federal agency that was created to put the American worker first is proposing to abandon a proven and trusted medium that reaches more than 130 million adults a week – one that is the only means for some U.S. workers to have access to job information.

On December 10, the Alliance will be filing comments on the Department of Labor’s proposal. In the meantime, you can promote the Sunday print requirement and tell the government to protect the American worker by running this op-ed by Alliance President and CEO David Chavern in your newspaper. You can download a copy of the op-ed here.