Our very own Gabby Giffords wants to double the number of H-1B visas that are supposed to allow American businesses to bring highly technical people into the country to take jobs there aren't enough Americans to fill. One problem: The visas don't go to American companies.
According to Business Week's table of biggest H-1B users, It's mostly cheap labor countries operating in the U.S. that are getting the bulk of the visas. 80% go to foreign outsourcing companies that bring workers in from India and rotate them through to give them experience before sending them back after a couple of years to handle U.S. outsourced jobs. According to the article, even the few U.S. companies on the list actually have most of their operations in India with the exception of Microsoft and Intel which represent a tiny percentage of the total.
In the meantime, highly skilled U.S. workers continue to get displaced by H1-B visa holders and complain about job postings that are worded to keep Americans out and ensure companies get approval for H-1B visas holders along with the cheaper labor the visas provide.
Since it's not a highly unionized segment of the workforce, we don't hear much of an outcry from Democrat union leaders. But then, the years of the Democrat Party as the "farmer-labor party" are long gone. The new Democrat Party is evolving as the cheap foreign labor party.
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7 comments:
Oh come on ACE...The GOP has been the party of pick up and leave.
This is a great idea. We are facing a major labor shortage, especially among scientists and high tech'ers.
It is also a brilliant political move too. She is endearing herself to businesses right now who are in this district and are having a helluva time trying to find qualified workers willing to come to Tucson (talk to Raytheon folk about it sometime to name one).
She is also coming across moderate on the immigration issue. Finding ways for immigrants to work legally, solving a problem, and also making sure that it is all, nice, tight and legal.
Its the kind of thing a Congresswoman can do and gets to do.
You guys don't get it just cause she says she is going to ask for X Y and Z it just gets her a headline...just follow it -- it never happens..You never hear that part. Pretty desperate that she spends all her time trying to get in the newspapers. Next up---Free Diapers for all---Then---Free Government handouts for all--
Paid for by your taxes--run by your government--But hey we can keep the photos coming of her mucking out the stalls and riding horses with the ranchers--
Barf Gag and very staged..
All Fluff no substance---That is Gabby.
Pick-up and leave?
As for businesses in the district that would benefit, Raytheon can't benefit because it can't hire foreign workers. This district has VERY few business that need highly skilled workers and even fewer are having trouble finding them. Those that are having trouble are in the same boat as Raytheon. This does nothing for her in the Tucson business community.
I agree that she IS coming across as a moderate on the immigration issue (and a whole lot of other issues for that matter) in spite of her voting record. I'll give her credit, she is running a masterful campaign.
As for the shortage of scientists and certain engineers, there's no question that it's a problem in many regions. But that's not where the H-1Bs are going as you can see in the chart. They are almost totally dedicated to software and IT jobs that Americans are finding hard to get.
Go to the link, and then explain to me how these visa holders are filling scientist and engineering jobs for U.S. companies. The facts don't support the argument that this is the way to solve the problem of the scientist and engineer shortage.
Roger,
Raytheon is a poor example. Due to federal laws and security clearance requirements, anyone that has access to any aspects of the factory or engineering sections of the plant must be a "U.S. Persons." Which means they have to be a citizen or a green card holder.
There are no H1B visa holders employed at Raytheon. Some of the contractors that cut the grass in front of building 801 might have a few, but I doubt that as well.
Raytheon needs U.S. born and U.S. trained engineers.
What the real truth is, is there is not a shortage of the IT and software types, there is a shortage of IT and software types that will work for 2/3's the pay for the same work.
This is just another example of pouring our money overseas, pushing our middle class to poverty and increasing the wealth of the top 1% of our nation's wealth holders who control 30% of the total wealth. Gabby happens to be one of them.
Ok bad example...thanks for the correction. I stand by my argument without the example. Must be even tougher for Raytheon then...they can't get hi-tech employees AND can't hire foreign labor without a green card.
As for businesses that need these VISAs IBM, the BioTech industry that is trying to grow in Tucson, optics, and one of our largest employers...the University of Arizona.
It is a good bill...I hope it passes... and I don't think it will have the effect that ACE suggests.
Oh...on the pick-up and leave comment, it has been the pro-business policies of this administration and the GOP that has led companies to run screaming for cheaper labor overseas and to the south. We have subsidized companies that do so and have done little to keep companies on our shores. Although I will grant you that President Clinton was the one who signed NAFTA, but with a large large amount of GOP backing and cajolling.
So trow da bums out.
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