U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, announced this week he sent a letter to a top Labor Department official criticizing a proposal Altmire claimed could drag down American workers' wages and create a disincentive for employers to hire Americans.The proposal, Altmire said, could lower Americans' wages by allowing illegal immigrants, earning below-market wages, to set the market rate for nearly all wages in the agricultural industry.Altmire's letter was sent following testimony by U.S. Department of Labor's Assistant Secretary Leon Sequeira."When Mr. Sequeira testified before the House Education and Labor Committee last week, I questioned him about the Department of Labor's plan to include the wages paid to illegal immigrants when calculating the wage rates for nearly all of America's agricultural workers," Altmire said."I find it outrageous that the Department of Labor is adopting a policy that could lower hard working Americans' wages and create a disincentive for employers to hire Americans for agricultural jobs.Under these proposals, the Labor Department would begin using a Bureau of Labor employment survey to evaluate wages paid to H-2A agricultural guest workers, foreign workers who come to the U.S. for short-term agriculture jobs.Since the wage survey does not account for workers' immigration status, it includes undocumented workers' wages when calculating the average wages for all H-2A agricultural workers.Altmire said the survey artificially lowers the wages that H-2A employers are required to pay their employees, which makes hiring foreign workers more attractive and can lower the wages that employers are willing to pay their American employees.———U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, on Tuesday urged the International Trade Commission to grant domestic pipe and tube producers relief from illegally dumped and subsidized circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe imports from China."I have seen first-hand the degree of injury which has occurred in my district as a result of illegal Chinese imports, not only to employers and workers, but to entire communities," said English, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.The congressman is a vice chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus.Last year, six U.S. standard pipe steel producers, including Mercer County's Wheatland Tube Co., filed a complaint with the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission alleging that Chinese imports of welded standard pipe are being dumped and subsidized."It is critical for the commission to act today and recognize the adverse impact of China's reckless dumping on this industry," English said.During his testimony, English said China's illegal imports are harming communities in Western Pennsylvania. The commonwealth accounts for 15 percent of the nation's steel production, and at least 24,000 Pennsylvanians work in the steel industry.———Bills providing permanent listing on Pennsylvania's Do Not Call Registry and permitting children of military personnel to enroll in cyber charter schools were considered last week by the state Senate, according to Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th.The Senate also adopted a resolution introduced by Robbins honoring Bradley Holmes, a Mercer County volunteer firefighter who died after a February fire in Grove City.The Senate passed legislation that would eliminate the need for consumers to reregister on the "Do Not Call" registry every five years. The measure now goes to the state House for consideration.In 2002, Pennsylvanians were first given the opportunity to avoid these calls by registering for the Do Not Call list.The Pennsylvania Do Not Call Registry returns part of any fines collected to consumers who file complaints — up to $100. Robbins said more than $80,000 has been distributed in that way.To register your home or cell phone numbers on the Do Not Call List, please visit www.nocallsplease.com.Meanwhile, a bill to permit children of military personnel to enroll in a Pennsylvania cyber charter school also received final Senate approval last week.Students of cyber charter schools complete coursework online using home computers, and 20,000 students are enrolled in cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania.Under current law, however, if a military family is stationed in another state and owns a residence in Pennsylvania, their child is not eligible to attend a Pennsylvania cyber charter school.The bill designates that if a child's parents own a residence in the school district, that child will be considered a resident of the district. The measure was sent to the House.