US companies that lay off large numbers of workers shouldn’t be allowed to hire workers with H1B visas if they’re planning a large layoff that will reduce their total number of US workers, according to two senators. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have introduced an amendment to the Senate’s immigration reform bill that would not only restrict H-1B hires from companies that have had “mass layoffs” within the last year but would also require companies that are planning to announce mass layoffs to cut their foreign workers as well. If the company has already received approval to hire new H-1B workers but plans to make layoffs soon, it must inform the foreign workers that their visas will expire within 60 days.
The purpose of the bill is to ensure that US companies are not exploiting the H-1B system by essentially replacing US workers with cheaper foreign talent.
Six years too late. Thanks Congress!
Great. I like the idea of watching American companies put more of their operations overseas.
Holy Crap!
Someone in Congress that cares about the “working class american.” I agree that it is a whole lot too late, but maybe there is hope that the easy train for businesses to India or China will derail! I get tired of talking to “Jeff” from India when I need customer service from Micro$oft or any other tech company that has farmed out it’s work force.
Tell that to Cisco
#3 – this has nothing to do with preventing work from being transferred overseas. H1B visas are for foreign workers working within the US.
Unfortunately #5 is right, as many companies lay off American workers and replace them with workers in Asia paid at a fraction of the rate paid to Americans. This bill won’t stop that transfer of jobs to other countries.
This really is another example of how government regulation unavoidably directly affects “the free market.”
How does the free market work if foreign workers are hired rather than raise wages in USA to encourage people to study certain subjects?
Corporate performance–CEO incentive program based on how many people he can lay off or underpay.
Solution–have CEO pay TIED to some multiple of the average employee pay with no bonuses!! After all, I’ve heard Jack Welch say a thousand times his employees were the most important thing in his success. Let them all put their money where their mouths are. Damn corporate schills!!!
This seems rather pointless. Regardless if you’re a US resident or an Alien, your cost of living here in the US will be the same for everyone, depending on their lifestyle.
This will just drive companies to MOVE jobs over seas… it’s cheaper than transplanting a foreign worker to the USA. After all the cost of living over seas is much lower, and those workers can be paid less than American workers.
#8
It’s not so much that the cost of living is lower, although that is true.
It’s that the STANDARD of living is lower.
For very skilled jobs (say, electronic assembly) a worker in China might get two dollars per day, and a bunk in the factory dormitory. You won’t find anyone willing to assemble your electronics here for any less than twenty bucks per hour, and NOBODY puts there workers in a fifty per room orphanage style corporate bunkhouse.
And that’s the way it is.
But if that foreign labor is available in countries where software shops can be set up easily, then much of that work will get transferred overseas. It’s a little bit trickier, but with that much cost savings it will definitely happen. We’ve already seen Dell, IBM, Microsoft, and others setup in India and Ireland. There will be some companies that will just set up consultancies and sell to the smaller US companies. This already happens, as I saw proposals for a small company of 10 workers, who would pay about $15000 per employee for additional workers in India.
I like this plan. Fire Amerikanos. Hire imports. Give the imports less money, but subsidized housing, food, and public transportation. Put the Amerikanos on unemployment or welfare…
When it all falls apart, have a reality TV show to see who can create the most clever cardboard signs to hold at street corners.
Woohoo, I’d tune in!