Eastern States Exposition (ESE) President and CEO Gene Cassidy, ESE Trustees, leadership from the Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA) and members of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) journeyed to the White House to advocate for the rights of carnival employees before Congress. These figureheads come from across the amusement industry, including leadership from North American Midway Entertainment (NAME) and multiple fairs.
“If we lose the carnivals, fairs could very well go out of business,” emphasized Barry Norris, executive director of the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs, IAFE’s State and Provincial Executive of the Year and ESE Trustee. “The fair community relies heavily on the success of our carnivals to help offset the cost of operations.”
The OABA and IAFE first began a unified effort to push the H.R. 1787 Carnivals Are Real Entertainment (CARE) Act before the House of Representatives and the S. 4040 Restoring Industry Development in Entertainment (RIDE) Act before the Senate in 2017. These Acts advocate for a labor shortage issue impacting the fair industry by correcting laws that exclude mobile entertainment employers from utilizing P non-immigrant visa classification to secure temporary, seasonal staff.
“Last week’s OABA visit to Washington, D.C. was an important and highly productive step forward for the Fair industry,” said Blake Huston, vice president of NAME and chairman of the OABA. “Leadership from the OABA and IAFE met directly with key lawmakers and congressional staff to share the real-world challenges facing the carnival and fair industry, particularly around workforce issues and the long-term sustainability of these events across the country. The meetings were well received, and it was clear that the unified voice—grounded in experience, data and tradition—resonated on Capitol Hill.”
Like many other entertainment industries, the outdoor amusement business uses the H-2B visa program to hire laborers. There are 388,000 H-2B certified jobs. In 2022, only 66,000 H-2B visas were granted. The goal of the CARE and RIDE Acts is to create a P4 visa category for the outdoor amusement business that will allow carnival workers and food concessionaires a consistent workforce.
“This trip reinforced the OABA and IAFE's role as strong and credible advocates for showmen and fairs nationwide,” Huston continued. “By building relationships, continuing conversations and articulating priorities, we made meaningful progress toward practical solutions that support jobs, safety and economic impact in communities large and small. The momentum coming out of Washington is real; the OABA and IAFE will continue to press forward, turning these conversations into action for the benefit of our entire industry.”
Cassidy, Norris and other representatives from ESE were offered an audience with Congressman Richard E. Neal, Senator Susan Collins of Maine and more noteworthy politicians. The entire party is determined to see the P4 visa category realized, and they have no intention of ceasing their efforts until it is. You can help bring the plight of carnival workers to the attention of your local lawmakers by heading to OABA.org.