Professors warn that grads could face competition from H-1B workers

[OhioChick]

H-1B workers, many under 30 and getting entry-level work, compete directly with new grads

November 15, 2013 05:08 PM ET

WASHINGTON If Congress does take action on an immigration overhaul, an H-1B increase will part of it. And the prospect of a big jump in the temporary work visas is worrisome to some academics, who say it will have consequences for students.

The nexus of H-1B visas and higher education came up Friday during a policy forum for U.S. House staff members focused on H-1B visas.

Karen Panetta, a professor of electrical engineering at Tufts University, says a master's degree is the new bachelor degree in the employment market, and it is increasing the financial burdens on students. The cost of tuition in the U.S. "is so unrealistically prohibitive," what you are finding "is a class shift," said Panetta.

"The really wealthy are the only ones who can afford to send their kids to school," she said.

More: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9244106/Professors_warn_that_grads_could_face_competition_from_H_1B_workers

[whathehell]

1. The idea that our kids should have to compete, on their own soil, no less, with

insourced foreign nationals is just SO wrong.

[msongs]

2. your president & congress have corporate masters to pay and these visas are just part payment nt

[ChromeFoundry]

4. +1 n/t

[Wilms]

3. Hillary Clinton reaffirms support for more H-1B visas

[area51]

7. Wasn't Hillary called the "Senator from Bombay"

b/c she loves to see American jobs in foreigners' hands?

We really don't need her as president.

[antigop]

5. so sick of this sh*t. nt

[cascadiance]

6. H-1B is NOT an immigration process and DOES NOT BELONG in this bill!

It is temporary slave labor for companies trying to steal average worker salaries for the top. It's a bit ironic that so many in the tech sector that do the grunt work programming are the REAL entities that help automate things to the extent that they need less labor. WHY aren't THEY being rewarded instead of the shysters at the top of the pyramid that have been stealing money and productivity gains from them and rewarding themselves for OTHER people's work!

Not only does H-1B program lower American tech worker's salaries (new grads as well as older workers) and reduces the number of permanent jobs available in this sector. It also:
1) Prevents organization of work force into unions, that the tech worker community really needs more now than it has in the past (with the possible exception of the end of the dotcom bubble in 2000). By having more non-citizen workers here, there are less people that can work together in legitimate unions to fight for better working conditions and salaries.
2) Drains the brains that do the work to overseas locations like Bangalore instead of building up an investment in technical expertise in areas like Silicon Valley which used to lead the world and saw its leadership move to Bangalore, India in the last decade.
3) Incentivizes the PTB to lower the ability of those tech workers who truly want to immigrate here from doing so, since they will be able to get the work force they want through H-1B program instead. This leads to many workers waiting over 10 years to get citizenship. That is WRONG and is why it really doesn't belong in this bill.

We all need to remind Senator Schumer of this, since he continually supports expanding the H-1B program along with the other corporatists and has lead that effort with the so-called "bipartisan" Democrats.