Indian IT Group Frets over H-1B Reforms

[OhioChick]

2009-03-12


NASSCOM, an Indian IT outsourcing trade group, takes to Capitol Hill to lobby against potential legislation aimed at reforming the H-1B visa process. While high-tech industries favor an expansion of the program that allows highly trained foreign workers to fill existing IT vacancies, recent scandals in the H-1B visa program have raised lawmakers' ire and a call for reform.

Officials from India's National Association of Software and Services Companies, or NASSCOM, an IT outsourcing trade group, worked Capitol Hill this week, lobbying lawmakers and the White House about its "extreme concern" over H-1B visa reform legislation that will soon be introduced in Congress.

"Last year, many changes were being proposed for H-1B use, including how many American employees a company should have, and how many maximum visas an individual company can have," NASSCOM President Som Mittal told the Indian news organization Business Line March 11. "These proposals were put up in the past but not enacted because it is believed that comprehensive reforms are required and not mere tweaking of individual provisions."

Leading the charge for H-1B visa reform in the 2007-2008 110th Congress were Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who pushed for legislation increasing the fees on H-1B visas while not raising the 65,000 visa cap. A Durbin-Grassley bill would have required employers to make a good-faith effort to hire American workers first, and employers would also have to show that the H-1B worker would not displace an American worker.

More: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/Indian-IT-Group-Frets-Over-H1B-Reforms-389917/


"an Indian IT outsourcing trade group, takes to Capitol Hill to lobby against potential legislation aimed at reforming the H-1B visa process"


Meanwhile...

India firing foreign workers to give jobs to locals

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Jobs/Expatriate_executives_making_way_for_local_hires/articleshow/4039529.cms

Now...How fucked up is that?

[ihavenobias]

1. I realize that not ALL lobbyists are bad.

But come on already, more often than not they're terrible and fight against the interests of the majority of Americans. They have far too much influence in our system, and it's clearly to our detriment.

[sasquatch]

2. Wah! Stay or go mother fuckers you can't have it both ways

[RagAss]

3. Fuck em !

[ChromeFoundry]

4. NASSCOM - IT outsourcing trade group

And what makes them think that we would give two shits over what they are proposing?

"India firing foreign workers to give jobs to locals,"... but it's wrong for us to do the same? Oh, hell no it's not!

[Larkspur]

5. I'm working with my Congressman's office to promote H-1B visa reform

I sent the links you gave onto my Rep's immigration contact. I also wrote a 2 page letter with information from The Programmer's Guild about how H-1B visas are being abused by American companies and faxed it to his offices last week. I'll call his immigration contact next week to see what's up with what I sent them.

[OhioChick]

6. Good work!

:thumbsup:

I've been forwarding all that I can find to my Congressman, Senators, The Programmer's Guild and any other Senators/people/contacts that will listen.

They need to hear from us! :thumbsup:

[babylonsister]

7. Wow. What's the word for 'chutzpah' in Indian? nt

[wroberts189]

8. It could not be more fkd up... nt knr

[Skittles]

9. aw Chick where the f *** did I put it

oh here it is :nopity:

[OhioChick]

13. Can I join you?

:nopity:

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OhioChick]

14. Quote:

"people that are racist want H-1B visa to go away."

3.Civility: Treat other members with respect. Do not post personal attacks against other members of this discussion forum.

4. Content: Do not post messages that are inflammatory, extreme, divisive, incoherent, or otherwise inappropriate. Do not engage in anti-social, disruptive, or trolling behavior. Do not post broad-brush, bigoted statements.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html

Time to read up on those DU Rules that I posted for you in the past. You continue to break them.

[Deja Q]

15. H1B workers also come from countries than India. The rest of us understand that. Why can't you?

Perhaps you are the racist one?

It is about economics. Not race.

If you wish to talk about race, why are qualified white, black, yellow, and brown people getting fired? Granted, most of us are white or black, but that's beside the point. Or can we cry "RACISM, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" too?

Well?

Why do you insist on making it a race issue?

If you can, so can we. And so can others. Do you really want Pandora's box(tm) to be opened?

I know. Perhaps the rest of us really should make it a race issue. Would you then feel better? I mean, George Allen (ex-senator from Georgia) had two habits he enjoyed: The first was to support offshoring. The second was to use racial slurs aimed at some of the folks he supported offshoring toward. Funny you're not mentioning folks like him either in your Quixote-like quest...


Also, please try to use proper grammar if you wish to retain anything approaching credibility: "...when I talked about my Indian friend that has an H-1B..." or "...when I talked about my Indian friends that have H-1B visas..."

Edited: Typo (lack of space between two words).

Edited/2: Minor clarification-based alteration of paragraph 7.

[ChromeFoundry]

18. You again? You're the racist. n/t

[quickesst]

11. Waahhh!!!

" Durbin-Grassley bill would have required employers to make a good-faith effort to hire American workers first, and employers would also have to show that the H-1B worker would not displace an American worker."



...Losing work to poor brown people just trying to make a better life for their families, and working for less pay to save the "bosses" precious profits. As a "racist" blue-collar construction worker, they all have my sympathy.:sarcasm: It's amazing how something is viewed depending upon one's station in life, and for some odd reason, geographical location. India bad. Mexico good. Actually, I think it's more of a class thing myself. Welcome to the reality many have faced for years now with zero sympathy, and simple-minded insults. Ivory tower residents have now become what they railed against for "moral" reasons. Thanks.
quickesst

[1monster]

12. I have no problem with people from other countries coming to this one for work IF

They are paid the at the same rates that US citizens have been paid (cost of living raises included) are given the same benefits that were givnen in the past to US citizens, and have the same responsibilities that US citizen employees would have.

The real problem with HB-1 visa holders and illegal immigrants is not the color of thier skin, their religion, their nationality or their citizenship status.

The real problem is that they will work for less and thus bring down comensation for all of us.

Example: We have always had a many Hispanic people in our town. There were mostly from South and Central America. As time went by, the Hispanic population added more Puerto Ricans. Mexicans were very few and most of those were married to Americans.

In the last couple of years, the Mexican population of this town has more than doubled the entire Hispanic population. They are pleasant and very hard workers.

BUT, the once high paying construction jobs pay much much less these days and while there a huge number of US citizen construction workers are out of work, a large number of Mexicans are still working.

They are also being hired by corporations to do their landscaping and grounds keeping work.

Don't get me wrong. I don't blame the HB-1 Visa holders or the people from other countries (Mexico included) for coming and getting jobs.

I do blame the corporations who hire them because they can and do pay them less for the same jobs and sometimes pay them less for doing two jobs.

If the United States had and enforced a law that said HB-1 Visa holders and all workers, despite their legal status had to be treated the same as US citizens, then the fallout would be less.

[Deja Q]

17. Or, to be succinct, not to get preferential treatment over qualified US citizens...

Of course, where there's a will there's a spin too. Usually bullshit ones, but at least Microsoft can no longer claim there's a shortage of "qualified American workers". Most of us saw through that lie when they stated it in 2007 too.

[Deja Q]

16. It's nice to see a bipartisan effort for real H1B reform.

The rest of us work our butts off, appear to have no future, and same of us even have to train H1Bs brought in (complete with a smile). Especially the latter, this special treatment really is immoral.

[blue97keet]

19. What are the rules on lobbying by foreign interests or agents of foreign governments?

National Association of Software and Services Companies, or NASSCOM