Laid Off Disney Worker Breaks Down in Tears Before Senate Panel

breitbart.com ^ | 2/25/16 | Caroline May

[Wilderness Conservative]

A Disney IT worker who was laid off and replaced by foreign workers along with hundreds of his colleagues broke down in tears before a Senate panel Thursday while telling his story.

“During the holiday season of 2014, I was sent a meeting invitation by a prominent Disney executive. With an excellent review in hand along with company announcements of record profits my mind buzzed with thoughts of a promotion or a bonus,” Leo Perrero, the former Disney worker testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest. “I walked into a small conference room with about two dozen highly respected fellow IT workers. The Disney executive made a harsh announcement to us all.”

That harsh announcement, Perrero said, was that Disney was laying him and hundreds of others off. He would be without a job in 90 days.

“Your jobs have been given over to a foreign workforce,” Perrero recalled the executive saying. “In the meantime you will be training your replacements until your jobs are 100 percent transferred over to them and if you don’t cooperate you will not receive any severance pay.”

[johniegrad]

I interviewed for a professional position in New Zealand about 15 years ago. It was clear from the interview that they wanted me because no suitable candidates could be drawn from within their own populace,

This is an immigration policy that makes sense to me. Immigrate if the need exists and if it is of benefit to the recruiting country.

what's happening here is that host countires (USA) are recruiting against their own populace to drive down expenses.

As long as immigration laws allow this, the only means that domestic professionals can compete on is the basis of cost.

Are they willing to do this or will they look at government to intervene?

[CodeToad]

Ted Cruz wants to bring in another 325,000 H-1B foreign tech workers while Americans are unemployed!

Liberal Ted Cruz claims H-1Bs are just doing the work Americans won’t do. Only liberals claim that type of crap!

Support Americans Ted Cruz, stop representing foreigners all the damned time!

[johniegrad]

Are you employed in a field that these foreign workers will compete with you in?

[GrandmaPatriot]

Proof, you problem child. Don't write things that are not true.

Here's your proof.

Donald Trump to Foreign Workers for Florida Club: You’re Hired

[FreedomPoster]

Very different situation. See here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3402076/posts

[PapaBear3625]

Think this is his position in response to changed circumstances. Is he allowed to do that?

Have circumstances truly changed from when he was in favor of expanded H1B, or is it more the case that the "changed circumstance" is that his focus groups tell him that it's a severely unpopular position right now?

H1B should be terminated. Eliminated root-and-branch.

What should replace it is that we should change immigration law BACK to what it was before 1960, and grant immigration priority to highly skilled applicants, and terminate the "family re-unification" provisions which allow mass immigration of the underclasses of the Third World.

But once a highly-skilled immigrant has been allowed in, then he should be free to work at whatever company he wants, with his pay being set by the free market.

[ConservingFreedom]

H-1B ping. Let me know if you're not on the list and want to be added (or are and want to be removed).

[ConservingFreedom]

Outdated. From https://www.tedcruz.org/cruz-immigration-plan/:

Amend the H-1B visa program to fulfill its original purpose: Work with Congress to pass reform legislation for the H-1B visa program that will:

• Create an advanced degree requirement: Only individuals with advanced degrees in their respective fields may be brought to the United States with an H-1B visa. And preference will be given to those with advanced degrees from American universities.
• Create a "layoff cool-off" period for all H-1B visa applications: Companies must wait one or two years between laying off a worker and bringing in any H-1B foreign workers to ensure that the program is not used to displace American workers.
• Establish accreditation or recognition requirements for overseas schools: The recent lack of federal oversight of the H-1B visa program has fueled a cottage industry of diploma mills. Foreign academic institutions must meet minimum accreditation standards at least as stringent as those imposed on American universities in order to qualify for the advanced-degree requirement.
• Require sworn affidavits describing domestic hiring efforts: Companies will provide sworn statements and documentation that detail their efforts to hire Americans before requesting foreign workers through the H-1B visa program. Individuals who make false statements in these affidavits will be subject to perjury charges.
• Suspend companies from H-1B visa eligibility for failure to help foreign workers obtain green cards: Many companies misuse the H-1B visa program to train foreign workers that they intend to send back overseas to compete with America. The law must impose additional requirements on employers to pursue Legal Permanent Resident status on behalf of their H-1B visa-based foreign workers, or risk loss of access to the program.

"Ted Cruz, Jeff Sessions Roll Out Antidote To Broken H-1B Program: American Jobs First Act" - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3371276/posts

"Ted Cruz Explains why His Position on H-1B Visas Has Changed" - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3376485/posts

[Menehune56]

Michelle Malkin's most recent book "Sold Out" goes into depth on this issue and I think it really captures the sheer anger people feel about the crony government complex. And this is probably a big factor in Donald Trump's appeal.

[khelus]

Re: "Outdated. From https://www.tedcruz.org/cruz-immigration-plan/:

Amend the H-1B visa program to fulfill its original purpose: Work with Congress to pass reform legislation for the H-1B visa program that will:

Create an advanced degree requirement: Only individuals with advanced degrees in their respective fields may be brought to the United States with an H-1B visa. And preference will be given to those with advanced degrees from American universities.
Create a "layoff cool-off" period for all H-1B visa applications: Companies must wait one or two years between laying off a worker and bringing in any H-1B foreign workers to ensure that the program is not used to displace American workers.
Establish accreditation or recognition requirements for overseas schools: The recent lack of federal oversight of the H-1B visa program has fueled a cottage industry of diploma mills. Foreign academic institutions must meet minimum accreditation standards at least as stringent as those imposed on American universities in order to qualify for the advanced-degree requirement.
Require sworn affidavits describing domestic hiring efforts: Companies will provide sworn statements and documentation that detail their efforts to hire Americans before requesting foreign workers through the H-1B visa program. Individuals who make false statements in these affidavits will be subject to perjury charges.
Suspend companies from H-1B visa eligibility for failure to help foreign workers obtain green cards: Many companies misuse the H-1B visa program to train foreign workers that they intend to send back overseas to compete with America. The law must impose additional requirements on employers to pursue Legal Permanent Resident status on behalf of their H-1B visa-based foreign workers, or risk loss of access to the program.

"Ted Cruz, Jeff Sessions Roll Out Antidote To Broken H-1B Program: American Jobs First Act" - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3371276/posts

"Ted Cruz Explains why His Position on H-1B Visas Has Changed" - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3376485/posts

Cruz "changed" his position once it became obvious that Trump was a major hit with voters with his [Trump's] immigration paper.

If Cruz only recently suddenly found out that employers were replacing Americans with guest workers and forcing employee to train their replacement as a condition for severence, Cruz is either prevaricating or hasn’t been paying much attention to the issue, that includes Session's excellent papers on the issue.

Employers have been doing this since the 1990's.

If you read further more on Crux’s immigration policy page you will find two telling statements:

01. Suspend the issuance of all H-1B visas for 180 days to complete a comprehensive investigation and audit of pervasive allegations of abuse of the program: Initiate an immediate 180-day investigation and audit of the H-1B visa program and enact fundamental reforms of this program to ensure that it protects American workers. In recent months, more and more reports have become public of companies replacing American workers with cheaper foreign workers, contrary to the stated intent of the H-1B visa program. This will stop, and the H1-B program will be suspended until we can be certain that the program is no longer being abused.

As conserving freedom has posted out the H-1B visa is not being 'abused' it is functioning as designed – to replace American with CHEAP foreigners.

In other words hold a dog and pony show during which issuance of visas is suspended. This is meaningless because as I'm certain Cruz knowsH-1B all visas allotted for a given year are issued in a matter of days!

02. Halt any increases in legal immigration so long as American unemployment remains unacceptably high. The purpose of legal immigration should be to grow the economy, not to displace American workers. Under no circumstances should legal immigration levels be adjusted upwards so long as work-force participation rates remain below historical averages.

Unacceptably high is NOT defined. Obviously what is occurring currently is not unacceptably HIGH because Cruz does not state lower but 'NOT INCREASE’ In plainer words Cruz is perfectly comfortable with the 'urrent level of US worker replacement by H-1B's.

[ConservingFreedom]

Cruz "changed" his position once it became obvious that Trump was a major hit with voters with his [Trump's] immigration paper.

Yes, Cruz had to feel the heat before seeing the light. Trump has changed position on a great many things since the 2012 election cycle - when he called Romney's policy of self-deportation for illegals "maniacal."

two telling statements

Those are the weakest elements in a Cruz policy with several stronger protections (which I cited).

[GOPJ]

The CHEAP LABOR EXPRESS IS BACKING RUBIO...

[khelus]

I seem not to have made myself clear:

Cruz is perfectly comfortable with the current level of job replacement and has tried to hide this fact in obtuse language.

Proposing a hearing on ‘abuses’ demonstrates a fundamental unwillingness to face the fact the program was designed to replace Americans.

The idea of suspending issuance of visas during the hearing is MEANINGLESS.because of the speed with which the annual allotment is issued.

Most importantly the US does NOT need an H-1B program. There are unprecedented numbers of experienced, up to date, proven IT people from which employers can meet their need.

This duplicity is mirrored in Cruz and TPA, fast track authority in which the congress cedes power to the president. First Curz shilled for TPA, Then when he realized how unpopular TPA was he voted against it BUT supported attaching TPA as an amendment to another bill,

“HR2146 was originally introduced in the House of Representatives as a bill to address issues with retirement funds of federal law enforcement officers and firefighters.
In April of 2015 Senator Ted Cruz and House Ways and Means Chairman, Representative Paul Ryan, supported TPA being added to HR2146. Their support was most notable when they posted the following Op-Ed which appeared in the Wall Street Journal on April 22nd:

http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398270

On May 12th HR2146 passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 407 – 5 (Roll no. 220). (text: CR H2848) The bill passed the house 407-5 because it was not controversial.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/11/11/senator-ted-cruz-did-support-tpa/
“

bill home page:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2146
bill as passed:
https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ26/PLAW-114publ26.pdf

[ConservingFreedom]

Those are the weakest elements in a Cruz policy with several stronger protections (which I cited).

Proposing a hearing on 'abuses'

As I said, the weakest elements in a Cruz policy with several stronger protections. Any beef with the Cruz planks I cited in post #48?

[khelus]

My beef as you call it is that IMHO Cruz is not be be trusted on his sudden ‘seeing the light’. Cruz has a history of shilling for ‘free trade agreements’ and flooding the country with ‘guest workers’.

Cruz supported TPA, then didn’t support TPA, then very sneakily supported adding TPA to an unrelated bill that was guaranteed to pass. Crus says one thing (Now I’m against TPA) but actually works behind the scenes do the opposite, i,e, pass TPA. In this climate giving Obama power to negotiate TPP virtually guarantees that TPP will PASS.

TPP will destroy what little is left of our sovereignty, economy, and job market.

All these so named ‘free trade’ agreements contain sections that over ride our immigration law by guaranteeing x number of guest workers that will be brought into the US regardless of the job situation,

From my perspective Cruz seeing the light is mere political expedience.

[ConservingFreedom]

Proposing a hearing on 'abuses'

As I said, the weakest elements in a Cruz policy with several stronger protections. Any beef with the Cruz planks I cited in post #48?

My beef as you call it is that IMHO Cruz is not be be trusted on his sudden ‘seeing the light’. Cruz has a history of shilling for ‘free trade agreements’ and flooding the country with ‘guest workers’.

So you agree that Cruz' current platform is sound policy? As for trust, there are no perfect candidates in this race: Trump has changed position on a great many things since the 2012 election cycle - when he called Romney's policy of self-deportation for illegals "maniacal" (and some of his positions remain liberal, e.g., everybody gets health coverage).

[khelus]

Please do not put words in my post and assume I agree with Cruz’s plank. You know what they say about assume.

I ought to have been more specific- part of ‘my beef’ is what I perceive to be Cruz’s basic lack of trustworthiness.
You and I obviously have very different perceptions of Cruz’s trustworthiness.

What you label weakness in his planks, I label obfuscation.

The H-1B was designed, as you have posted to be abused. ‘Fixing’ it is like putting lipstick on a pig.

Cruz’s handling of TPA is a prime example how Cruz sets up a situation where he can honestly say he voted against TPA the second time it came up all the while promoting, along with Ryan, hiding TPA in a bill about pensions. Links available .

Another example Cruz could put all the questions about his citizenship to rest by releasing all the relevant records, Instead he has sealed them, just like Obama. A major red flag. When questions about his mother becoming a Canadian citizen came up Cruz released his mother’s birth certificate. That proves nothing about her citizenship at the time of Cruz’s birth.

TO repeat you and I have very different views of Cruz’s honesty.

[b4its2late]

BOYCOTT Disney.

I am. Bastards.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yeah, P.C. could be figuring here, although technically those “brown Indians” are Caucasian.

I work in an office of H1Bs, but they were never brought in to supplant an existing workforce, only to supplement it. This is an option that has become attractive due to uncertain economic times. The company doesn’t get as much criticism for letting them go at the end of a contract as it would get for letting direct hires go.

[ConservingFreedom]

You and I obviously have very different perceptions of Cruz’s trustworthiness.

There are no perfect candidates in this race: Trump has changed position on a great many things since the 2012 election cycle - when he called Romney's policy of self-deportation for illegals "maniacal" (and some of his positions remain liberal, e.g., everybody gets health coverage).

What you label weakness in his planks, I label obfuscation.

How do you label the several stronger protections I cited in post #48? So far you've made a determined effort to ignore them.