Slashdot Mirror
Ten US Senators Seek Investigation Into the Replacement of US Tech Workers
dcblogs notes this story about a bipartisan group of U.S. senators that has asked for an investigation into whether companies are firing American workers and replacing them with foreign workers for the sake of cutting costs. "Ten U.S. senators, representing the political spectrum, are seeking a federal investigation into displacement of IT workers by H-1B-using contractors. They are asking the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the Labor Department to investigate the use of the H-1B program "to replace large numbers of American workers" at Southern California Edison (SCE) and other employers. The letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and the secretaries of the two other departments, was signed by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight over the Justice Department. The other signers are Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), a longtime ally of Grassley on H-1B issues; Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), David Vitter (R-La.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.). Neither California senator signed on. "Southern California Edison ought to be the tipping point that finally compels Washington to take needed actions to protect American workers," Sessions said. Five hundred IT workers at SCE were cut, and many had to train their replacements."
They could be serious.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
10 major shareholders representing 40% of open an investigation into why the company still has American workers and hasn't fired them and replaced them with foreign workers to cut costs.
I don't have the visibility to say whether this is endemic, but I observer that a manager in my own organization stated openly not long ago that H-1B would get preference in new hires or backfill hires for budgetary purposes. And he has been as good as his word. About half the organization is now made up of foreign contractors, and the percentage is growing.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
of the bill. They are complaining yet still signed on to support increasing the H1-B's. That tells me this is all smoke and mirrors. When will Americans realize they need to vote out every one of these bastards. Clean house - no one gets to keep their job.
The Truth is a Virus!!!
It's standard to get ex-employees to sign agreements agreeing to keep their mouth shut in return for severance packages.
I believe this is just political posturing before they sign the bill to substantially increase the number of H1Bs. Now they can say that they "attempted" to punish companies who violate the rules of the H1B program.
From TFA:
"This letter is a significant development in this contentious issue. It arrives at the same time that lawmakers are pushing a substantial increase in H-1B visas under the I-Squared bill, legislation that would raise the H-1B cap. Two of the co-sponsors of the I-Squared bill also signed the letter asking for an investigation into H-1B program practices."
Just ask John Galt.
Or most slash-dotters who rant about unions.
I forget what 8 was for.
Aside from the normal arguments about a shortage of workers *at what offered wage level* etc, etc., the more interesting question here is a question of demographics.
When the world offers you endless numbers of reasonably well-trained workers who can fill your job openings at 1/2 the cost of US workers, what is a country to do? How long can a country resist that pressure? We may politically shout for better wages and training for US citizens to fill these jobs, but the deeper issue is that borders/barriers are less and less effective lately against a flood of competition from people who are cheaper and better (or hungrier).
Americans I believe will have to come to grips with the possibility of a stagnant or even decreasing standard of living as the rest of the world takes what was once our position. No amount of restriction of H-1B visas will prevent that.
is the reduction of intellectual strength and tech development from foreign countries. If you can gather 100 000 highly educated and motivated people from foreign countries every year, and bring them into the U.S, then it's a "win" because these people's efforts will benefit the U.S instead of their home countries. This may displace Americans and put them in lower paid jobs, but that's not as urgent as the fight against the rest of the world. The people at the top of government wants all tech development to happen and be based inside the U.S economy, and pushing to increase the H1B1 caps is one effort to achieve that.
The only time these investigations will happen, is when H1B1 visas are spent on cheap, Indian labor, instead of those brilliant minds that are actually wanted.
The guy that writes Dilbert worked for a Utility for 20 years, PG&E IIRC. His cartoons are based on the facts of his workplace while at the utility.
It's not all surprising that neither Boxer or Feinstein signed on to this investigation, if indeed this is what it turns out to be (I share the skepticism that this is for real at all). Boxer is retiring at the end of her term in 2017, and Feinstein has always been a closet Republican. In any event, both Senators know who butters their bread, and that's Silicon Valley; perhaps the largest users (and abusers?) of the H1-B Visa program. They are also both from the Bay Area.
I know what you mean. We need vastly more H1-B MBA's. American MBA's labor costs are SO uncompetitive.
we can only stop the mass immigration invasion of cheap foreign labor when we realize that the plutocrats/corporations have been molding the minds of young americans via the educational curriculum using anti-white race-guilt propaganda. They tell young and impressionable whites that racism is the ultimate evil, and that being against the foreign invasion of third worlders is racist. Stop the multiculti indoctrination of edupropaganda --that is the first step.
Also: Create a local IT union. Seriously. You people keep complaining that you're getting fucked and fucked and fucked and yet the moment someone suggests creating a union... well... comments to follow.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
For US: tech workers will suffer from unemployment or suppressed wages For H1B holders: The Tata's and Infosys' of this scheme will dangle the green card carrot in front of you while raping your wages to the tune of 50% For US companies: Economy will look like a spaceship, which no one can stop from going up Then the tech bubble will blow stockholders will suffer Indian H1B workers, who were waiting patiently for their green cards will be sent home with nothing to show for Recession will depress the job market for the American worker Who will benefit from this ? The few C- level executives with a golden parachute exit plans. It will not be their problem to fix the mess. It is the next sucker's problem to deal with. Tell me what is good about this plan ?
__________
The more I know people, the more I love animals
Give a work permit to anyone with $250k+ of W2 income per year: they'd have to post a bond for the equivalent in taxes for their first year.
That would cover 90% of foreign job creators, and exclude 90% of job destroyers (cheap indentured servants).
Full disclosure: I came to the US 17 years ago as an L1, then H1B.
In that time I've created lots of jobs and paid > $10m in Fed and local taxes, but I'm a strong opponent of the current H1B system.
It's crony capitalism at its worst.
Are the politicians going to take a meeting to form a committee to evaluate the possbility of an investigation into h1b practices?
No shit they are firing American workers, and Zuckerberg is one of the leader in this field.
So if you're using Facebook.... fuck you from the bottom of my heart.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Which is PRECISELY why the corporations MUST be controlled via strong force of law, NOT relaxed pampering and pandering.
Since a corporations fiduciary obligation is the center of the corporation's universe, and all other considerations take second or even third stage (if at all!), then some other agency MUST step in to intercede to protect the system from the otherwise inevitable collapse. THAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT.
The problem is that government panders to the corporations and gives them whatever they want, (and what they want is less legal restrictions on their ability to meet their fiduciary obligations, at the expense of all other concerns and practices) instead of busting their chops and holding their asses to the fire so they have to fly right.
Going "But think of the poor corporations, just doing what they are forced to do by their evil share holders!" is bullshit. Instead, you should be demanding that government do its fucking job, instead of whoring itself out for career re-election dollars.
Ninety senators are fine will selling out their own country.
(Actually, I am shocked that number isn't higher.)
diversity is strength for Capital but diversity is weakness for Labor... now you have some clue as to why all the rich and powerful institutions are cramming diversity/multiculturalism propaganda down the throats of young impressionable white kids via the educational curriculum... white guilt instilled in young white minds manufactures consent for more mass immigration
No we won't trust you on that. We trust rational reasoned discourse, not bigoted race baiting bullshit artists.
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
I live between Hartford CT and Springfield MA. The insurance capital of the world. I used to be an employee of an insurance company but I can't tell you which one. I have been outsourced by a large outsourcing company and I was an employee of that company for 3 years. They brought me back as a contractor for that large outsourcing company for the last 5 years. Same job / pay no benefits. Most of the grunt work done has been sent over seas to the Sub continent. I work from home now so at least I can save on the price of gas but of course I have to heat the house when I'm home so nothing is really saved there. I challenge any of these Senators to go into any of the insurance companies in Hartford or Springfield and look around. Figure out the ratio of American citizens to foriegn workers on H1B Visas. I would guess it's almost 7 out of 10 workers are on H1B visas now. Even the contracting companies (Body Shops) don't want to hire Americans because they can pay their fellow countrymen less wages and cow them better than they can American workers. That does not take into account how much work has been sent over seas. One more question: The work sent overseas, the profits from that work done over there never ever comes back into this country because the Large outsourcing firms will just claim that it's money made over there even though they are working on infrastructure over here. There is a lot to investigate but I doubt they will. Sen. Bluemthal was already on the horn asking for more H1b Visas. The Senators know which end their bread is buttered on.
Paul E. Bahre
If more controls are put in place, the work will simply move offshore. I work for a large financial institution, and they decided the best solution for technical labor was to build a large organization offshore, and these are not just call-center folks. These are highly skilled technical workers. And they are doing jobs that could easily be done here, but obviously for a lot more money. This way they avoid the overhead and headaches of H1B sponsoring altogether. Not saying it hasn't and doesn't happen in this company. But the offshore labor is a lot less expensive, and to some, that is of primary importance.
Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.