Rebar Workers

Work description

Your attention is requested to the following letter in support of Genuine Builders, Inc.s (GBI) request for eight (8) temporary Rebar Workers to supply our seasonal temporary need in Cincinnati, Ohio. GBI of Arlington, South Dakota is a concrete sub-contractor that has provided specialized concrete construction services for the last twenty-nine (29) years. The Rebar Workers will: Position and secure steel bars or mesh in concrete forms in order to reinforce concrete. Able to operate wire reel, klein pliers and hand tools to fasten and bend rebar. The Rebar Workers must be able to handle temperature extremes and lift and carry 75 lbs. for 75 yards. They will work some weekends and travel to worksites within area of intended employment. For more information regarding the company and photographs of some of its projects, see Exhibit A. Emergency Situation This application is being filed pursuant to emergency situations contained in 20 C.F.R. 655.17, which provides the Certifying Officer (CO) may waive the time period(s) for filing an H-2B Registration and/or an Application for Temporary Employment Certification for employers that have good and substantial cause, provided that the CO has sufficient time to thoroughly test the domestic labor market on an expedited basis and to make a final determination. The regulations set forth two determinations to guide the COs exercise of discretion: 1) the finding of good and substantial cause and 2) the existence of sufficient time for the CO to make a determination of temporary need or ensure compliance with the criteria for certification. See Blake Hershberger Enterprises, LLC, 2020-TLN-00059. Good and substantial cause is defined as the substantial loss of U.S. workers due to Acts of God, or a similar unforeseeable man-made catastrophic event (such as an oil spill or controlled flooding) that is wholly outside of the employer's control, unforeseeable changes in market conditions, or pandemic health issues. Here, GBIs emergency arises from a significant, unforeseen shortage of Rebar Workers caused by external, non-business-related factors, specifically adverse weather conditions disrupting the local community. For more information on the impacts of flooding on the labor market, see Exhibit B. On July 17, 2026, heavy rainfall totalling 5 to 6 inches impacted Cincinnati. The National Weather Service reported 27 incidents of flash floods across Cincinnati as a result of heavy rainfall over the course of a few hours. See Exhibit C, Flash Flooding in the Cincinnati area. Now dubbed as a 1,000-year storm, weather experts have described the adverse weather event as a freakishly big precipitation event. See Exhibit D, Cincinnati saw a 1,000-year storm. Why more may not be far off. The Cincinnati Enquirer article went on to describe how the July 17th storm is close to being twice as severe as the required threshold for being considered a 1,000-year storm. The July 17th storm is the largest recorded daily precipitation event in the Cincinnati area. Severe flash floods across the Cincinnati area led to one (1) death and multiple injuries. See Exhibit E, CFD: 1 dead, 3 injured after severe flooding impacts Cincinnati's East Side. The Ohio Department of Transportation closed Interstate 71, and the Cincinnati Fire Department responded to over 40 calls for water rescue. See Exhibit F, 40 water rescues reported amid flash flooding in Tri-State, CFD urges caution. Just days after the historic storm, a cluster of thunderstorms continued to impact the area of intended employment. See Exhibit G, July 21, 2026 Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding. The combination of a very unstable air mass and strong winds aloft resulted in widespread damaging winds, several confirmed tornadoes, as well as numerous flood reports due to extreme rain rates. Please see attached.