In a message dated 3/14/08 4:12:53 A.M. Central Daylight Time, News@JobDestruction.info writes:
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1836 -- 3/14/2008 >>>>>
Washtech is providing an online email campaign to ask Representatives in
Congress to question the veracity of the Bill Gates testimony.
The text of the email has a serious factual error, but it's still worth
sending to Congress if for any other reason to let them know that we didn't
appreciate such a one-sided sham of a hearing.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bg_h1b?rk=97SjSiS14IicW
We, information technology workers of various disciplines, feel that
many qualified and willing candidates are not being considered for
the positions going unfilled in the American IT industry. By law
these candidates cannot be bypassed in order to fill a position with
an H1B.
We would ask you to consider this when reviewing Mr Gates' Testimony
of March 12th, 2008.
Did you catch the error in Washtech's message? It is not against the law
for companies to bypass qualified and willing Americans for H-1Bs. That's
why companies like Microsoft continue to do it without fear of prosecution.
Professional organizations like Washtech shouldn't be making rookie
mistakes like this.
Washtech wrote the article below which may be one of the few we will see
that presents an opposing point of view to the Bill Gates testimony.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.washtech.org/news/industry/display.php?ID_Content=5226
March 13, 2008
WashTech News
Gates demands more H-1Bs be allowed in USA
WashTech Correspondent
Los Angeles, March 12
Microsoft Chairman and founder Bill Gates today made another pitch towards
getting more H-1B workers in the country, telling Captiol Hill that,
"America will lose its status as a leader in technological innovation
unless it allows more skilled workers to enter the country". He also called
on Congress to increase federal funding of research and development and
take steps to reform secondary education. The H-1B visa program remains
hugely popular, so much so that in 2007, the program's annual cap of 65,000
was met on the first day applications were accepted.
Take Action!
Click above to contact the new Democratic Chairs!
Since many companies use H1-B workers to eventually outsource their
technical projects, more and more American IT workers are losing their
jobs, easily indispensable in their own country ever since the immigrant
workers started arriving in droves in the late 90s, to work for- what many
times amounts to -half the money and benefits. Marcus Courtney, president
of Washtech, says "U.S. technology workers have faced relentless economic
pressure during the past six years. Our economic recession made us lose
more than 100,000 jobs. In addition, more jobs seem to be getting
outsourced overseas than getting created here in the U.S. The idea that our
country is facing a serious shortage of skilled technical talent and an
increase in visas is needed belies the economic reality faced by everyday
tech workers. Congress should be passing legislation to protect workers not
outsource more jobs overseas."
"We all want the U.S. to continue to be the world's center for innovation,
but our position is at risk," Gates said, arguing that foreign workers come
with higher educational qualifications than their American counterparts.
However, Dr. Ron Hira, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the
Rochester Institute of Technology, quotes USCIS data showing that the
typical foreign worker is neither more qualified than an American, nor is
being taken care of that well. Hira says, "Gates has characterized H-1B
workers as possessing "unique talent" and skills and being paid large sums
of compensation (>$100k). But the facts belie all of these
characterizations. The typical H-1B holder holds a Bachelor's degree and is
being paid $50k."
Anthony Bravos, 57, of Woodstock, IL, is a computer programmer and father
of two, who has been unemployed for two years. He says he is deeply
demoralized by his unemployment and by Gates' actions. "Is Gates American
only in name? His business practices are so blatantly anti-American!"
Bravos further adds, "I hate watching the demise of my country. If we could
just stop corporate greed we can turn around our country, but that requires
good citizenship of corporate officers, something we have not seen in over
25 years, and responsible government, which also seems to have died 25
years ago."
Toni Chester, a New Jersey based senior Lotus notes and Domino developer,
says, "my career was destroyed by outsourcing of jobs. In August 2001, I
was displaced by Lucent Technologies / Agere Systems. I had been working on
the spin project as a contractor when they retained a guest worker and
discarded me. That was the beginning of a long, dark period in my spotless
work history, where I was unemployed for a stretch of time, unable to even
pay my bills. What are your odds when a 1,000 resumes are going to a single
opportunity! I had to learn to claw to retain even short term IT projects.
Today, I am a single parent, and my commute is 5 hours long. I cannot see
my child on many days. The icing on the cake? My current job will be
outsourced to India in December, 2008."
Bravos says he is much angered by Gates' claim on wanting to be the
innovation nation again. Bravos opines that the next generation of
Americans will have a much harsher world to live in, and he is wondering
what outsourcing-proof career advice to give to his honor student children.
Information Technology is not on the radar.
One wonders how Gates hopes America to be a leader in technical innovation
when American IT workers are being discarded in favor of younger, cheaper
foreign labor, and their own kids are not considering IT as a career, the
bloodbath in the job market holding up too vivid of a mirror to the
society.
Material from The Washington Times appears in this story.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Newsletter Homepage:
http://www.JobDestruction.com/shameh1b/JobDestructionNews.htm
Support this Newsletter and www.JobDestruction.com by donating:
www.zazona.com/Donations.htm
To Be removed from this mailing list, reply to this
email with UNSUbSCRIBE in the subject window
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -