Stop Displacing U.S. Workers

Date: Friday, August 15, 2003 2:08 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

The Sun-Sentinel should be praised for it's recent articles. A few days
ago "Visa holders replace U.S. workers" was published and now it's
followed up by this excellent editorial.

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-editafvisasaug14,1,7093280.story?coll=sfla-news-editorial

Stop Displacing U.S. Workers

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board

August 14, 2003

With so many qualified, but unemployed, U.S. citizens and residents
looking for jobs, why are federal immigration authorities giving out
more visas to foreign workers? A Senate Judiciary Subcommittee wants to
find out, and rightfully so.

It's painfully obvious employment opportunities are not abundant. The
U.S. jobless rate stands at 6.2 percent. Florida unemployment is at 5.3
percent. Some 2 million jobs have been lost across the country in the
past two years, and currently 8.2 million Americans are unemployed.

Yet, even as a soured economy has kicked so many people off the
payroll, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel review of U.S. Department of
Labor applications shows employers in South Florida and across the
United States were getting permission to fill jobs with skilled workers
imported from abroad.

Those workers are allowed to work here via two government programs, the
H1-B for those individuals with specialized skills and the L-1 visa for
intracompany transfers. Those programs have a special and necessary
purpose.

They are intended to permit companies to bring in workers who have
skills, knowledge or experience that isn't readily available in the
United States. Foreign worker programs benefited the United States, for
example, in the late 1990s when a booming economy increased demand for
qualified workers.

But, with the economy still sagging and so many people looking for
work, it's time to cut back on visas.

It's hard to understand why U.S. technology and telecommunications
companies are having trouble finding good workers here already. More
than 450,000 technical workers have been jobless for six months or
more, and account for one of every three long-term unemployed,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Suspecting companies may be abusing the visa program to tap cheaper
labor, Congress is set to review the foreign worker program. The Senate
has scheduled hearings for next month, and two House bills seek to
curtail access to the program.

A group opposing cutbacks in the visas, the National Association of
Software and Service Companies, says these bills will hurt the
technology industry and that the issue should be "left to market
forces."

No, the foreign visa program must serve its true purpose: To make it
possible for companies to recruit needed workers, not to displace
existing hands with those who will work for less.
Copyright ) 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Rob Sanchez is board member of NAEA - www.NAEA.US

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