Companies replacing U.S. workers
Companies replacing U.S. workers
Date: Monday, July 28, 2003 5:47 PM
JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
www.ZaZona.com
TATA once again claims that they can't hire U.S. citizens because only
Indians are trained in "Tata software". As you might expect, the only
way you can get this training is to live in India.
TATA (TCS) has branch offices all over the USA so it's surprising that
they couldn't offer this secret training in at least one of them. Use
this link to find a TATA office near you:
http://www.tcs-america.com/contact/index.html
This Indian owned bodyshop is loath to hire any U.S. citizens - even
thouse of East-Indian heritage. Apparently they only offer this
training to non-citizens who are willing to come here on H-1B and L-1
visas.
If you are scratching your head wondering what TATA software is, you
aren't alone. Read more on my search for "TATA software " by clicking
this link:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A5F651B65
I was just about to publish this newsletter when I had a brainstorm. I
figured that "TATA Software" would have to be copyrighted so I went to
the following site:
http://www.copyright.gov/
TATA software copyrights were nowhere to be found, but I did find the
following paper about thought prompters. Perhaps TATA gives H-1Bs
special training about pyramids that cannot be taught in U.S. schools.
Search For: CLNA/TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES AUTH/TATA CONSULTANCY
SERVICES
1 Item
1. Registration Number: TX-2-077-183
Title: Minto : the Pyramid Principle Thought Prompter : user guide.
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1059307034250250.xml
Companies abusing visa program, replacing U.S. workers, critics say
07/28/03
VICTOR GODINEZ
DALLAS -- Just as H-1B workers have done, L-1 visa holders are stirring
up controversy in the United States.
Whereas H-1B visas allow U.S. companies to hire overseas workers
specifically for the purpose of filling open jobs in this country, L-1
visas are meant for intra-company transfers and are valid for a maximum
of seven years.
Although there are legitimate reasons a company would transfer a
foreign employee to the United States, critics charge that the program
is being abused as a way to cheaply replace American workers.
A company that has resources throughout the world might need to bring
in its foreign workers for their special expertise, cross-training or
management indoctrination.
"What can be wrong with that?" asked LeEarl Bryant, immediate past
president of IEEE-USA, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers.
The problem, Bryant and others say, is that a loophole in the law
allows employers to transfer L-1 workers to the United States and then
outsource those workers to other companies. When that happens, American
workers are often displaced because L-1 visa holders do not have to be
paid wages in line with their U.S. counterparts.
"It's even worse (than H-1B abuses) because it's manipulating the
system to avoid paying those people prevailing U.S. wages," Bryant
said. "And, of course, it kind of washes the hands of the U.S. employer
who has the real work to do. They can say, 'We're not hiring H-1B
people. We're hiring temporary workers from company X, who provide this
service of software design.' "
The government recognizes that loophole as a problem, said Chris
Bentley, a spokesman for the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services. The bureau is assessing the L-1 program, and Bentley said
that violations are being investigated.
"We certainly do hear about the possible abuses, and the fact that
there is an assessment of the visa category would indicate that it's
being taken very seriously," he said.
In May, Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., introduced a bill that would close the
L-1 outsourcing loophole.
His office noted in a news release that in some instances, "American
workers have been forced to train their own L-1 replacements or suffer
the loss of severance pay."
"While we want to help our businesses meet their work force needs, this
proposal will help ensure that Americans are no longer victimized
through a legal loophole," Mica said in the release.
Bentley said the number of L-1 visa holders seems to be tapering off,
as is the number of H-1B workers, because of the slow economy.
Alcatel SA, the French telecommunications equipment firm with U.S.
headquarters in Plano, Texas, has used L-1 workers, but only limited
numbers remain, said company spokesman Brian Murphy.
"We had a need for special-skills engineer people," said Murphy, who
added that Alcatel hasn't outsourced its L-1s. "So we had a program
called Go USA where employees, mainly from France and other European
countries, could come over here and work."
India-based Tata Consultancy Services uses the L-1 visa program to
transfer employees to the United States and send them out on consulting
projects across the country. The primary reason is that its workers in
India are trained in Tata software -- training not available to U.S.
workers, said resident manager of personnel Girish Surendran.
"We've got more than 50 research and development centers spread across
India in multiple locations," he said. "When they come to the U.S. on
this basis, they bring that knowledge with them."
Surendran said Tata complies with the legal requirements of the L-1
program and pays all of its employees the prevailing wage, or more, in
each location where they work.
He said Tata doesn't track whether its client companies use the L-1s to
replace existing staff.
Copyright 2003 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved.
Support this Newsletter and ZaZona.com by donating:
www.zazona.com/Donations.htm
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe send an email to
Rob Sanchez is board member of NAEA - www.NAEA.US
Back to archives