Carnival & Fair Buzz

The OABA is hosting an advocacy event for HR 1787 - CARE Act (Carnivals Are Real Entertainment) from May 6-8 in Washington DC.  Everyone is welcome to join!  For more information, visit the OABA's web site.

This act would provide us with employment security for years to come.  We need your help to assure this act makes it into the upcoming spending bill.   The CARE Act has bi-partisan support. It is not an immigration issue. It is a workforce issue.  Passage of HR 1787 will:

• Clarify an existing category of visas for foreign workers, the P Visa, which covers the entertainment industry. Carnival workers should've been included in this category years ago.
  
  
• Solve the mobile amusement industry's most pressing issue – having enough reliable workers to operate safely at full capacity.
  
  
• Free up about 10,000 H2B visas for the many other industries (fishery, landscaping, resorts) that also need reliable foreign labor.

This issue pertains not only to carnival and game owners, concessionaires, and other midway operators, but also fairs, festivals, and all associated industries.  Without employment stability, fairs and festivals could be affected by receiving fewer rides and vendors, or even be faced with the possibility of no rides, games, or concessions on the midway.  Our suppliers would be left with fewer customers during the season.