Big Business looking for more H-1B visas

Date: Friday, August 31, 2007 3:27 AM

<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1748 -- 8/31/2007 >>>>>

The Lou Dobbs show had an excellent report yesterday about the new push to get
the yearly H-1B cap raised. They named many high tech companies in Silicon
Valley that are going back to Washington DC to lobby for more H-1B visas,
while at the same time announcing huge layoffs.

I posted a video clip of the show on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPblKUSX4UY

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http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0708/30/ldt.01.html

Coming up next: America's business elite says they want more visas to import
workers. We will tell you if there really is a shortage of workers or just
another front on the war on the middle class.

And a new crackdown on employers of illegal aliens, the outcry over matching
Social Security numbers to actual employees. We will have a special report,
all that, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Congress isn't even back in Washington yet, but big business is
already lobbying.

As Bill Tucker reports, corporate America is pushing for more H- 1B visas, so
it can import even more cheap foreign labor, all at the expense of middle-
class workers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the end of July, Sun
Microsystems announced it will fire an unspecified number of workers by the
end of the year. Intel this month began firing 1,000 workers in New Mexico.
Earlier this week, EarthLink announced it will fire 900 workers.

But at the same time, some high-tech executives renewed their call this week
for more foreign workers on H-1B visas, which are guest worker visas for
temporary workers with specialized skills. Workers groups are up in arms.

DAVE COHEN, AFL-CIO: A lot of us thought the immigration effort died a month
or two months ago when Congress went out. High-tech moguls, the high-tech
billionaires have not given up. People who are concerned about their
employment, their wages, their children's futures need to be heard by Congress
next week. Happy Labor Day.

TUCKER: Bill Gates made his position very clear when he testified to Congress
earlier this year and was asked if there should be any limits on the H-1B
program.

BILL GATES, FOUNDER, MICROSOFT: I don't think there should be any limit.

TUCKER: On its Web site, Sun states -- quote -- "Overly restrictive caps on
temporary visas such as the H-1B pose a serious and ongoing obstacle for high-
tech companies battling to stay competitive."

What Microsoft and other companies would be happy to see is a doubling of the
size of the program, as had been proposed under the now failed comprehensive
immigration reform legislation.

Lobbyists for the tech companies, joined with groups like the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, will renew that push when Congress goes back into session.
That's an impressive and a well-funded effort.

Loosely organized worker groups say they are overmatched.

KIM BERRY, THE PROGRAMMERS GUILD: They can dump $1 million or $10 million,
hire a lobbying firm and go hit all of the senators back in Washington. We
can't do that.

TUCKER: The official cap on the H-1B program is 65,000 with an additional
20,000 except from the cap.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER: One of the most basic lures of the H-1B program? Cost. In the
technology field, the median wage paid to an H-1B worker is $12,000 a year
less than the wage of an American worker, Christine, in the same job and in
the same location. So, we're not doing apples to oranges.

ROMANS: So, let me get it straight. You know, as long as these CEOs want --
you pointed out that there have been some job layoffs in the high-tech world.
So, as long as these CEOs want to try to find an American worker first, then
fine, right? When they prove there is not an American who can do the job, then
they can go overseas.

TUCKER: And you have just stepped right into the biggest myth of this program,
Christine, which is it doesn't -- it's not a requirement. All you have to say
is you want to hire this H-1B worker. There's no requirement that you have
gone out and...

ROMANS: This H-1B worker at $12,000, on average, less than what the American
worker costs.

TUCKER: Right. So, I can't imagine why they would want to do that.

ROMANS: I can't imagine either, Bill.

All right, thanks, Bill Tucker.

Well, that brings us to the subject of tonight's poll. Do you believe American
companies are telling the truth when they claim there's a lack of qualified
talent in the U.S. for the high-tech industry, yes or no? Cast your votes at
LouDobbs.com. We will bring you the results later in the broadcast.

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