The lame-duck Senate is considering lifting caps on the notorious H1B visa program as part of its omnibus spending bill. The H1B visa program has brought in millions of foreign workers in high-tech and other fields, depressing the job market for American high-tech workers. These are the "good jobs" that were supposed to compensate America for the "bad jobs" that moved overseas.
Offshoring also costs jobs, but these visa programs probably have a more direct impact on the unemployment rate.
You want to talk about Dems standing up and fighting? What the hell is Teddy Kennedy doing switching now and joining with Chambliss and Grassley in supporting this sort of thing? Speculation is that Congress will decide this issue this week. Kossacks: fax or call your Senators and Congressmen NOW! Details below the fold.
This from the AFL-CIO:
As you may be aware, Senators Chambliss, Grassley and Kennedy are attempting to add a new H-1B visa cap exemption (for foreign graduates of U.S. Colleges/universities with Masters/PhDs) to the pending session ending omnibus appropriations bill. We are informed that the ranking Democrat on the Committee-Sen. Robert Byrd--is opposing this amendment.
Damn, if Sen. Byrd isn't becoming a special hero of mine. First the Iraq war and now this.
Back to the AFL-CIO:
The AFL-CIO, CWA, IFPTE and IEEE along with some other organizations are actively opposing the Chambliss initiative and we are contacting members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to support Sen. Byrd's efforts. In addition, a number of tech organization networks have energized their grassroots activists to contact key senators to oppose the amendment.
Some facts you may not know:
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As a result of the tech bust and the early impact of off-shore outsourcing which affects a wide range of white collar jobs outside tech:
Long-term unemployment among college-educated workers (i.e., 27 weeks or more) increased by 299.4% between 2000 and 2003, a much faster rate than the increase of 156.1% for workers with a high school degree or less. -
Between 2000 and 2003, total unemployment for American workers with college degrees increased by 95%--double the rate for workers with a high school degree or less (40%) and higher than the 74% rate for those with some college education.
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The Economic Policy Institute recently reported that the unemployment level of college graduates now surpasses that of high school drop-outs.
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According to new BLS job growth projections for the next decade (see #6 below), seven of the ten occupations expected to gain the most ground are low-wage occupations that do not require a college degree.
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Without question, a new H-1B exemption would make a bad situation for our college educated workers much worse.
If Kossacks are serious about reversing the disastrous impact of bad free-trade deals on the economy they will jump on this bandwagon and start doing some work to raise a fuss about this issue, which is happening under the radar, with a lame-duck Congress no less. This is an important issue that must be debated among the people.
If you agree, please recommend this diary to keep this important issue visible all day, and then fax your Senators and Congressmen! And if you are one who disagrees (Kos himself has called himself a free-trade advocate) you can recommend it too, and let's have this discussion here and now.
Update:
Well, I've certainly ignited a firestorm.
Here are some other points worth considering for those who are operating on the H1B-supporter=angel, H1B-opponent=racist xenophobe
dichotomy:
Didn't John Kerry say in every debate, at every campaign stop, that Bush was the first president since Hoover to see net job losses in America? Was that just a throwaway line that Americans should have realized had no practical application? (Hmm, could the fact that some of them may have in fact realized it, account for some Bush votes?). Over and over, we repeat the people voted against their own economic interests. In light of these comments - how can you be sure?
Well, flail at it, Kossacks, gotta go to work now.