Video raises concern about firms' H-1B abuses

[RamboLiberal]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

A video clip that teaches employers how not to hire Americans has prompted two lawmakers to ask Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to investigate whether U.S. companies may be abusing the H-1B visa program.

The H-1B program lets U.S. employers import a certain number of foreign college graduates to work here for up to six years before they're supposed to go home. As part of the immigration debate, high-tech employers want to hire more of these skilled guest workers while labor groups say these newcomers push Americans out of white-collar jobs.

Siding with the displaced Americans, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, wrote Chao Thursday after seeing a five-minute video in which the marketing director of a Pittsburgh law firm is shown telling employers how they can advertise a job so as to appear that the only qualified applicant is a foreign national.

"Our goal is clearly not to find a qualified and interested U.S. worker," says Lawrence Lebowitz of the Cohen & Grigsby law firm during a seminar taped in May. "In a sense it sounds funny, but that's what we're trying to do here."



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/22/BUGOOQJHN41.DTL

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Saw this video. As someone in IT industry it ticks me off when qualified American workers are bypassed for H1B hires simply because of a lower salary. I have no problem with H1B's as long as American workers aren't sacrificed.

[Tempest]

1. Every single one of the speakers in the video should be deported

And have their businesses siezed.

[jamesinca]

2. its all about making money, pure greed

It does not make their product better, it does not make them more competitive in the market place. It does nothing but make more money for the boss man. Pure greed!!!! And I have to wonder how many of them are Christians, you know the kind that think greed is an admirable quality. Kenny boy Lay said he was one.

[Stargazer99]

3. Chao investigate! You gotta be kidding

Chao is one of the poorest excuses for protecting labor that I've seen in years.Its
like having the fox investigage the noise in the hen house.

[skids]

4. But GAO has already investigated...

...and found that, yes, there is a significant level of abuse.

We need another "investigation" like we need another local news report about studies that show you overeating can make you gain weight and not flossing can lead to gum disease.

What we need is what none of the legislators have balls enough to do -- actually turn the screws down.

[LeftyMom]

5. Direct link to the video:

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

[dkofos]

6. I saw that clip on Lou Dobbs the other night.

Glad it finally showed up here too.