Given that the mechanics unions seem to be doing their best to drive the airlines into bankruptcy, I have a hard time mustering too much sympathy for the poor American mechanics.
I know a bunch of folks who are certified A&P mechanics. They work hard and sometimes really ridiculous hours ( split shifts, rotating shifts within 7 days, etc). Since airplane safety depends on their qualifications I want the very best ( kind of like my choice in surgeons).
I do not want some third rate, non-English speaking, foreigner coming here to take those jobs ( and yeah lots of folks who were laid off have not been called back because of these foreign workers).
This has happened in nursing as well. So many of the RN positions have been filled with heavily accented and heavily recruited Phillipinos that some hospitals in California are darned hard to understand anything anyone says.
And by the by try handling some of those airplane tires for an evening then tell me about where your sympathy lies (you are probably a desk jockey somewhere)
Well then imagine how low the salaries would be and how much money the airlines would save if they didn't bother with any prior training or certification at all but allowed the immigrant to learn on the job from the get-go? I mean how hard can it be, really? And wouldn't that teach the unions?