| GAP Connections Labor Management Webinar |
Understanding the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) and How the AEWR is Calculated |
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Do you want to know how the H-2A wage rate (AEWR) is set each year? Do you have questions about what information they use to calculate it? Join us for a live webinar with the National Agricultural Statistics Service to get answers to these questions and more. Open to all farmers and those who work with them!
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GAPC Members will earn 1-hour of additional Labor Management Training for participating.
Learn More.
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Burley and Dark Growers, GAPC is Available in Your Area. Call Now to Schedule Training! |
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GAP Connections (GAPC) is excited to announce the continuation of the Farmworker Training and Cost Share Program.
Through the cost-share program, GAPC Grower Members who grow tobacco can schedule a two-hour farmworker training for a cost of $200. That is a $200 benefit to growers! If more topics are desired, each additional hour of training will be cost-shared at a rate of $50 per hour.
GAPC Grower Members can work with neighboring growers to further share costs if workforces can be combined for a training session. Coordinating with other growers is a great way for smaller operations to gain more cost-savings.
The choice of training topics is numerous and varied to offer a full and complete package for operations that may be looking for safety and compliance training to meet different requirements. Topics range from general farm safety, worker rights and responsibilities, laws and regulations, to specific topics such as food safety and crop integrity. Click here to view the 2024 GAPC Farmworker Training program catalog to view all available topics.
A farmworker in Kentucky said, “I liked the way the training was presented. It was very entertaining and informative.”
Registration is now open. To take advantage of this interactive and educational training, contact Amy Rochkes at (865) 622-4606, extension 107 or arochkes@gapconnections.com.
Learn More.
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GAPC Tobacco Certification |
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Growers participating in the GAPC Certification program, auditors are scheduling monitoring visits. To avoid being missed or extra monitoring visit fees, please regularly check your phone, texts, and email for any auditor communications and respond promptly.
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Begin working on the Self-Assessment. The required Self-Assessment must be completed prior to the Monitoring Visit. The Self-Assessment is one per operation.
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Be on the lookout. The monitoring firm will contact you via phone call, text, or email to schedule the visit. You have been placed on their contact list, and they will contact you 2-3 weeks before arrival. Any questions about scheduling or invoicing should go directly to the monitoring firm. Visits will begin mid-July.
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Prepare. Start preparing for the Monitoring Visit by reviewing the 2024 Certification Compliance Guide. Tips for achieving Certification are emailed weekly, or check out our website.
- After the Monitoring Visit. Growers should receive their audit report either by mail or email (depending on the preferred method of correspondence selected at time of application) within 72 hours. It is important to review the audit report in a timely manner to determine if remediation is required.
- Is remediation required? Remediation must be completed by the 30 day deadline. Instructions on how to remediate any remediable issue can be found in the Compliance Guide and the Remediation Guide.
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Need help? GAPC staff are available Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm EST to answer any questions.
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| We want to hear from you. |
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Stakeholder engagement is a critical part of the success of GAPC and GAPC’s activities as it is ultimately the stakeholders that determine the success of our efforts.
The principles of GAPC’s stakeholder engagement include:
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Inclusive: GAPC strives to be inclusive to allow all stakeholders the opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns, and questions by evaluating the environment in which we operate and identifying existing and new stakeholders.
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Trustworthy: GAPC strives to be trustworthy by planning engagements with purpose and sincerity to collect feedback from a variety of stakeholders and by building and maintaining trusting relationships.
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Transparent: GAPC strives to be transparent with stakeholders by sharing proposed changes to GAPC activities with stakeholders.
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Responsive: GAPC strives to be responsive by updating stakeholders when GAPC is reviewing feedback with GAPC decision-makers and providing updates on any actions related to feedback.
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GAPC engages with stakeholders both through direct engagement (i.e. one-on-one meetings and presentations) and through solicitation of feedback through public comment periods. These methods of engagement allow stakeholders to provide feedback on current and proposed GAPC activities. To learn more about GAPC's stakeholder engagement please review the GAPC Stakeholder Engagement Policy.
Schedule for Public Comment
View Proposals for 2025 GAPC Programs
Open comment OPEN until September 30th at 5:00pm EDT. Please provide feedback by clicking the link below.
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| New Episode Out Now! "Let's Talk About Labor" Podcast hosted by University of TN and GAP Connections |
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GAP Connections is excited to announce the launch of a new podcast "Let's Talk About Labor" that aims to address labor needs to farmers in Tennessee and other surrounding states. The podcast is a collaborative effort of University of Tennessee Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and GAP Connections
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Episode 1: Let's talk about the H-2A program: Farmer's experiences with the H-2A program.
Listen here.
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Episode 2: H-2A Worker Housing: Practical Things I Need to Know Before Considering the H-2A Program
Listen here.
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Episode 3: H-2A Worker Transportation: Practical Things I Need to Know Before Considering the H-2A Program
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Episode 4: H-2A Program Housing Requirements
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Episode 4: H-2A Program Housing Inspections
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In this Episode, Lance Butler from the Tennessee Department of Labor will talk about housing inspections under the H-2A visa program. Butler oversees four programs in Tennessee, including the H2A and H2B visa programs, the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program. (August 2024)
Listen here.
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Give it a try...GAPC HR/Legal Helpline |
GAPC has a partnership with Jackson Lewis to provide growers with a comprehensive risk management helpline service carefully designed to help manage workforce employment issues and reduce exposure to employment-related liability.
This helpline is FREE to all GAPC grower members. Growers can access the helpline by phone (833) 499-0275 or email GAPConnectionsHotline@jacksonlewis.com. When contacting the helpline, please be prepared to provide, your name, GAPC grower ID #, location, type of issue, phone, and email (if available).
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865.622.4606 | info@gapconnections.com | 2450 E.J. Chapman Drive Knoxville, TN 37996
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