This is updated information from an alert diary about 36 hours ago.
We found out from sources on the Hill that Microsoft Lobbyists are swarming our Senators trying to pass S.2691 this EVENING! They tried last night by unamious consent and failed. So now Microsoft is once again arm twisting.
Today Dr. Norm Matloff wrote an op-ed showing how Microsoft is actually laying off some workers while shouting "worker shortage".
Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) appears to be on the edge of negotiating an agreement to allow him to slip a bill through the Senate, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, that would entail a gigantic increase in 3-year H-1B visas.
This is the SKIL Act or S.2691
House companion bill is HR. 5744
Capitol Switchboard
202-224-3121
Just for a reminder, George Allen co-sponsored the Skil Act and while obscure most assuredly motivated some activists to try to defeat him in election 2006.
We are told that there is a labor coalition, bi-partisan that might help. They are:
Bunning (R-KY) 202.224.4343
Byrd (D-WV) 202.224-3954
Coburn (R-OK) (202) 224-5754
Crapo (R-ID) (202) 224-6142
DeMint (R-SC) (202) 224-6121
Dorgan (D-ND) (202) 224-2551
Ensign (R-NV) (202) 224-6244
Grassley (R-IA) (202) 224-3744
Inhofe (R-OK) (202) 224-4721
Isakson (R-GA) (202) 224-3643
Ben Nelson (D-NE) (202) 224-6551
Santorum (R-PA) (202) 224-6324
Sessions (R-AL) (202) 224-4124
Stabenow (D-MI) (202) 224-4822
Thune (R-SD) (202) 224-2321
Vitter (R-LA) (202) 224-4623
Look up other Senators telephone numbers.
Obviously they are sneaking this in as fast as possible under the radar so the only way to help is to make the phone calls to their DC offices.
This is the big one folks and if it passes the entire field of Science and Engineering will surely be decimated.
If you need any more background information, Norm Matloff has especially been analyzing this bill.
The IEEE-USA H-1B/L-1 information page.
On our site is a reposted Georgetown study on the professional Visas in S.2611 and because the Skil Act has MORE Visas that the provisions in S.2611 the results will be worse. This page has other major studies also, including the recent GAO fraud report. I diaried some info here too.
NOTE: The Georgetown study says they will bring in more cheap foreign labor that TOTAL jobs projects (and BLS is never conservative) until 2011.
I hate to ask this but can I get some recommends? We really need help, we're up against the biggest corporate lobby and the more people who make a phone call the more chance we have to save jobs and careers.
Please also call your own Senators. Especially Democrats.
We just worked so hard to get so many into office in order to represent working America! So, where are the Democrats in stopping the insourcing of cheap labor to labor arbitrage US jobs? What is the difference between shipping the job offshore and importing cheap labor? It's the same US worker who is out of work and now in financial ruin.