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story in Salon today (subscription or watching ad required) says that the Senate has added a provision to their version of the immigration reform bill to increase the number of H-1B visas from 65,000 to 115,000, with provision for further increases in subsequent years. H-1B visas are the visas used to admit technical workers to the U.S. According to the article, this increase is not based on any survey showing a shortage of technical workers available in the U.S., but mostly on lobbying efforts by Bill Gates and other high-tech companies who are looking to import a cheaper labor force. For as we all know, there are lots of high-tech workers in the U.S. who were laid off in recent years that are still looking for jobs.
A few quotes below the fold.
Generally, industry lobbyists are quick with statistics and reports, but in this case it appears they weren't needed. Neither Microsoft nor Intel would reveal how many Ph.D.s or master's students they hired last year, and how many they need for next year. When the companies and their lobbyists were asked what data and reports they showed Congress to convince them of the need for these new visas, they reported that they don't have any reports and statistics. Marcus Courtney, president of WashTech/CWA, a tech workers union, says as long as they have Bill Gates on their side, "they don't need to use anything to substantiate their arguments."
Critics of the bill, mainly academics and those who represent American tech workers, say they have no voice on this issue; that Congress has been blinded by campaign contributions of big companies. In 2004, Microsoft alone spent $9.46 million on lobbying and hired 16 different firms; it listed immigration as one of its top issues on lobbying disclosure forms, according to data from the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics. That same year, computer and Internet industries spent $70.5 million on lobbying.
"There is no greater case study to understand corporate power in politics," says Courtney of the tech workers union. "I could give you 75 reports that prove that H-1B is a horribly flawed program that hurts American workers, but it doesn't matter. As long as Bill Gates says there's a shortage, and that's it, thanks for playing, game over, try again next session."
I can't tell you how many friends I have who have been out of work in the high-tech field for months or years or more. But these companies are saying that if they can't bring in cheaper workers from overseas, they will simply ship the jobs overseas. So it's a lose-lose situation for American workers.