AFL-CIO says student visa extension hurts tech wages

[OhioChick]

Source: Computer World

June 13, 2008 (Computerworld) WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's decision to allow foreign students to work in the U.S. for up to 29 months before getting an H-1B visa faces opposition from the AFL-CIO. The largest labor organization in the U.S. labeled the move a backdoor H-1B cap increase that could lower wages for U.S. tech workers, according to comments about the rule change made available this week by the government.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made the "emergency" rule change earlier this year to deal with the limits imposed by the 85,000 slot H-1B cap. The government received 163,000 applications this year for those visas. What the DHS did was extend the Optional Practical Training (OPT) provision that previously allowed students to work after graduation for one year on their student visa. Although the change is a done deal under the agency's "emergency" rule-making provisions, the federal government still had to seek comments.

Ana Avendano, director of the AFL-CIO's immigrant worker program, wrote, in comments posted Thursday on Regulations.gov, that "by extending the OPT period and work authorization period, the interim final rule turns a student visa program into a labor market program, and essentially lifts the cap that Congress has placed on the H-1B program."

Moreover, Avendano said the rule change "allows employers to completely bypass" any of the protections in the H-1B program that prevent employers, for instance, from using foreign workers to break a strike. Moreover, students working on OPT won't have to be paid the prevailing wage as required under the H-1B program. An OPT employee could, theoretically, work for minimum wage, she wrote.



Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9098018&intsrc=hm_list

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I'm glad that the AFL-CIO spoke up on this issue.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Why does the (mis)administration hate America? n/t

[OhioChick]

2. Because they're only

Concerned about the greedy-ass corporations. It's all about the money.

[hootinholler]

9. You're mistaken, they love america!

So much they want to own it, all of it, including a serf class chained by wage slavery.

-Hoot

[ChromeFoundry]

3. this administration is hell-bent on fucking the middle class...

right up until their final days!

Glad the AFL-CIO is making an attempt at correcting this bullshit.

[robinlynne]

4. an emergency ruling? emergency? katrina was an emergency. They didn't do

a damn thing then. Our country is in a constant emergency.

[mcg]

13. Emergency! Emergency! Corporations demand more profit!

Must obey! This has nothing to do with protecting our country (homeland security?) and all to do with corporate profits. Maybe their definition of "Homeland" is the United Corporations of American, and "Security" is when they are swimming in money.

This ruling will personally impact me.

[babylonsister]

5. Where is the line drawn between student and worker?

I have no problem with students getting their degrees, but it does sound like back door hiring.

[ihavenobias]

6. K & R

[GreenTea]

7. Overseas outsourcing or domestic. Bush wants more profits for corporations, keep wages here low,

break unions and screw the American workers. I'm sure they'll find a way to give tax breaks (our taxes) to the same corporations.

The republican (McBush) way!

[lovuian]

8. thats why India students are up 38%

Unfreakingbelievable

[frickaline]

10. If they don't do this through visa programs, they will just outsource

I watched as this happened to my job (I work in the tech industry).

We need salaries to rise world wide to prevent these predators from enslaving their work force, regardless of where they live. In the short term it might be nice to see some tax hikes on outsourced labor. Of course, if you do too much of this, these companies might just set up shop elsewhere. Its all about finding the right balance I suppose.

[antigop]

11. Kudos to the AFL-CIO for speaking up. Thanks, OhioChick. n/t

[OhioChick]

12. Nice to hear someone sticking up for us, isn't it? n/t

[treestar]

14. Why don't you move to another country and naturalize and then

come back to the U.S. as a foreigner? Then you'd have it made. :rofl:

[OhioChick]

15. As someone once told you....

"As you've pointed out before, you're a well-paid attorney, a latte liberal, completely immune from having your job out-sourced. Your pro-globalization posts are self-serving, nothing more."

Spot on. :thumbsup:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3250764#3253401

[ihavenobias]

16. That's actually very good context

It's always "funny" when people who are generally unaffected by something try to tell those who ARE affected that whatever it is they're worrying about is 'no big deal'.

[ChromeFoundry]

17. Why don't you move to another country

and try to do your job there. God knows you are not helping the people that are actual citizens here.