Recruiters Form Trusted Recruiter Alliance

Five founding members launch an industry alliance setting nine ethical standards for recruiting U.S. seasonal workers.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Job Fairs

Recruiters Form Trusted Recruiter Alliance

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Do you trust companies that hire seasonal foreign workers to treat them fairly?

Founding members launched the Trusted Recruiter Alliance, an employer- and industry-led group that holds recruiters, employers and filing agents to a shared standard of ethical recruitment. Members commit to nine standards covering U.S. seasonal labor programs.

Why it matters

The alliance seeks to set a common benchmark for how seasonal workers are recruited across the United States, covering legal compliance, fees and forced labor protections. Its standards target practices such as worker debt and document retention.

Five founding members have committed to nine standards for ethical seasonal worker recruitment. The extraction does not specify how compliance with these standards will be verified or measured.

The players

Trusted Recruiter Alliance

An employer- and industry-led alliance that sets shared standards for ethical recruitment in U.S. seasonal labor programs.

Western Growers

A U.S. agricultural trade association representing growers, and one of the alliance's founding members.

WAFLA

A founding member of the alliance, represented by Enrique Gastelum at its launch.

The details

The Trusted Recruiter Alliance was founded by Enrique Gastelum of WAFLA, Jason Resnick of Western Growers, Joe Martinez of CIERTO, Lydia Hock of Labormex and Tom Bortnyk of másLabor. The first standard requires following the law, the second bars fees for a job with allowed costs explained and repaid when required, the third requires clear terms in the worker's language before departure, and the fourth prohibits forced labor, including coercion, debt bondage and holding workers' documents.

November 6, 2026: Alliance launch announced

Market Landscape

The alliance is a private, industry-led effort layered on top of the federal rules governing U.S. seasonal worker visa programs. It positions five employer and recruiting groups to set voluntary standards in a sector where recruitment practices have drawn scrutiny.

Seasonal workers recruited by alliance members should receive written terms in their own language before leaving home and no-fee job placement. Employers using these recruiters may face clearer contractual standards for worker recruitment.

The takeaway

Workers considering seasonal jobs can ask recruiters whether they follow the alliance's nine standards, including written terms in their own language before departure. Asking about fees and document handling can help confirm a recruiter's practices meet these commitments.