Washington, D.C. — February 3, 2026 — North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement:

“Expanding the H‑2B program without real safeguards is a direct hit on American workers at a time when people across the country are looking for jobs and construction projects are being slowed or shut down. This is not a partisan issue. Administrations of both parties have expanded this program without fixing the fundamental flaws that allow employers to sidestep local workers and weaken industry standards.

“The H‑2B program is routinely used to import low‑wage labor that undercuts wages, benefits, and working conditions. It has become a tool for bad actors who want to avoid paying fair wages or investing in workforce development, undercutting the standard of living that American workers have fought to build. NABTU members are ready, trained, and eager to work. If companies are struggling to hire, the solution is to raise wages, improve safety and jobsite conditions, and invest in apprenticeship and training. The solution is not importing a vulnerable workforce that is easier to exploit.

“We are calling for real reforms that stop these blanket expansions and put in place strong protections that uplift labor standards, strengthen America’s construction workforce, and protect all workers.”

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