Posted on 09/11/2013 11:35:34 AM PDT by markomalley
On Tuesday, the chief human resources officers of more than 100 large corporations sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging quick passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
The officials represent companies with a vast array of business interests: General Electric, The Walt Disney Company, Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, McDonald's Corporation, The Wendy's Company, Coca-Cola, The Cheesecake Factory, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon Communications, Hewlett-Packard, General Mills, and many more. All want to see increases in immigration levels for low-skill as well as high-skill workers, in addition to a path to citizenship for the millions of immigrants currently in the U.S. illegally.
A new immigration law, the corporate officers say, "would be a long overdue step toward aligning our nation's immigration policies with its workforce needs at all skill levels to ensure U.S. global competitiveness." The officials cite a publication of their trade group, the HR Policy Association, which calls for immigration reform to "address the reality that there is a global war for talent." The way for the United States to win that war for talent, they say, is more immigration.
Of course, the U.S. unemployment rate is at 7.3 percent, with millions of American workers at all skill levels out of work, and millions more so discouraged that they have left the work force altogether. In addition, at the same time the corporate officers seek higher numbers of immigrants, both low-skill and high-skill, many of their companies are laying off thousands of workers.
For example, Hewlett-Packard, whose Executive Vice President for Human Resources Tracy Keogh signed the letter, laid off 29,000 employees in 2012. In August of this year, Cisco Systems, whose Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Kathleen Weslock signed the letter, announced plans to lay off 4,000 — in addition to 8,000 cut in the last two years. United Technologies, whose Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organization Elizabeth B. Amato signed the letter, announced layoffs of 3,000 this year. American Express, whose Chief Human Resources Officer L. Kevin Cox signed the letter, cut 5,400 jobs this year. Procter & Gamble, whose Chief Human Resources Officer Mark F. Biegger signed the letter, announced plans to cut 5,700 jobs in 2012.
Those are just a few of the layoffs at companies whose officials signed the letter. A few more: T-Mobile announced 2,250 layoffs in 2012. Archer-Daniels-Midland laid off 1,200. Texas Instruments, nearly 2,000. Cigna, 1,300. Verizon sought to cut 1,700 jobs by buyouts and layoffs. Marriott announced "hundreds" of layoffs this year. International Paper has closed plants and laid off dozens. And General Mills, in what the Minneapolis Star-Tribune called a "rare mass layoff," laid off 850 people last year.
There are more still. In all, it's fair to say a large number of the corporate signers of the letter demanding more labor from abroad have actually laid off workers at home in recent years. Together, their actions have a significant effect on the economy. According to a recent Reuters report, U.S. employers announced 50,462 layoffs in August, up 34 percent from the previous month and up 57 percent from August 2012.
"It is difficult to understand how these companies can feel justified in demanding the importation of cheap labor with a straight face at a time when tens of millions of Americans are unemployed," writes the Center for Immigration Studies, which strongly opposes the Senate Gang of Eight bill and similar measures. "The companies claim the bill is an 'opportunity to level the playing field for U.S. employers' but it is more of an effort to level the wages of American citizens."
Obamanomics enabled by the “Big Government / Big Business” alliance ran by the RINO-crats
The company’s goal is money as it should be.
The government’s goal should be the welfare of all. So government needs to grow a spine and just say no.
It is all about the Benjamins. If they had to pay foreigners and illegals the same wage they paid Americans then they would not be pushing this stupid policy. They figure they can sacrifice quality of work for quantity and still come out ahead based on shear volume. A pox on their houses, but in the end that is the free market.
The workers who have supposedly dropped out of the labor force are paid unemployment, disability, welfare, rent subsidies, free health care etc. by taxing the struggling Middle Class, not the titans of industry who can pay a stable of tax lawyers to reduce their taxes to ZERO, as in the case of GE.
Then these blood-suckers want to bring in cheap immigrant labor to do the jobs that U.S. citizens were fired from. In this vote, we’ll see how many congress critters have been bought by the lobbyists of these companies.
Cut off the free money such as Unemployment after 6 months, and disability to perfectly healthy people, and you will see a lot of unemployed people start working again.
If you give unemployment after 6 months you should give jobs such as cleaning the highways, and ditch’s, rebuilding bridges with unemployed people working for the Govt.
Giving checks without work is horse dung.
I just had a man tell me the other day he would nbot work for less than the 100,000 dollars he was making when he was laid off, and why should he when he is getting free money from unemployment?
We are a resource-poor country. Not enough cheap labor. We need people who can work, live 2-3 families in a house and drive and old car without insurance.
That headline tells me all I need to know. It’s all about money.
Just now heard this on Rush. Show prep means looking at FR’s latest articles page.
The company’s goal is money as it should be.
The government’s goal should be the welfare of all. So government needs to grow a spine and just say no.
______________
Exactly!
September 10, 2013
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker
United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
RE: Support for Immigration Reform
Dear Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi:
We, the undersigned chief human resource officers of major corporations doing business in the United States, are writing to urge the House to enact legislation to fix the broken immigration system and work with the Senate to ensure that a bill is signed by the President this year. We believe this would be a long overdue step toward aligning our nation’s immigration policies with its workforce needs at all skill levels to ensure U.S. global competitiveness, and we are hopeful that the House will address these needs. The Senate bill is not a perfect measure and many of us hope to work with the House to enact more favorable provisions in certain areas.
Two years ago, the HR Policy Association, which represents the most senior human resource executives at the largest companies in the United States—and of which we are all members—issued a Blueprint for Jobs in the 21st Century, which provided a number of recommendations for restoring growth and competitiveness in the U.S. Among these was a recommendation that immigration reform “address the reality that there is a global war for talent and that countries are competing to attract and retain the human capital essential to a culture of productivity and innovation.” The report contained a number of recommendations aimed at attracting and retaining immigrants with strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. The Senate bill includes strong provisions along the lines of our recommendations, and we would encourage the House to adopt a similar approach.
Even with the economy still recovering, many of our companies continue to have difficulty finding sufficient American workers to fill certain lesser-skilled positions. Thus, in addition to addressing the need for more highly skilled immigrants, we strongly support efforts to bolster the availability of a workforce at all skills levels, through a separate visa program as well as by creating a path to legal status for those already here. Finally, we urge you to improve the E-Verify system so employers can rely on its results without fear of legal liability and to preserve federal preemption to ensure uniform application of the enforcement rules across the country.
September 10, 2013
Page 2
The economic benefits of broad immigration reform were recently underscored by the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate regarding the Senate bill. In addition to finding that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by about $197 billion over the next decade, it also estimates the bill would increase real GDP (adjusted for inflation) by 3.3 percent by 2023 and 5.4 percent by 2033. Clearly, the positive human resource impact of the bill plays a key role in these estimates, as CBO projects that the bill would increase the U.S. population by about 10.4 million new residents by 2023 and 16.2 million by 2033, with the U.S. labor force growing by about six million workers (3.5%) by 2023 and about nine million (5%) by 2033.
Our global competitors understand that attracting top talent from around the world is vital to a country’s economic success, and many already have rewritten their immigration policies accordingly. We urge Congress not to miss this opportunity to level the playing field for U.S. employers. We can’t afford to wait.
Sincerely,
The signees:
Michele A. Carlin
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Chair, Immigration Policy Committee
HR Policy Association
Mirian M. Graddick-Weir
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Merck & Co., Inc.
Chair
HR Policy Association
David Almeda
Chief People Officer
Kronos Incorporated
Elizabeth B. Amato
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Organization
United Technologies Corporation
Marcia J. Avedon
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications
Ingersoll Rand Company
Dina Barmasse-Gray
Senior Vice President Human Resources
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.
Mark F. Biegger
Chief Human Resources Officer
The Procter & Gamble Company
Lisa G. Bisaccia
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
CVS Caremark Corporation
William A. Blase
Senior Executive Vice President, Human Resources
AT&T Inc.
Robert C. Bloss
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
September 10, 2013
Page 3
Cynthia K. Brabander
Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Eaton
Sharon M. Brady
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Benito Cachinero-Sánchez
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
Dean Carter
Chief Human Resources Officer
Sears Holdings Corporation
Rizwan Chand
Vice President, Human Resources and Medical Chief Human Resources Officer
BNSF Railway Company
Brian J. Cook
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Communications
USG Corporation
Lawrence B. Costello
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Tyco International
L. Kevin Cox
Chief Human Resources Officer
American Express Company
Bruce Culpepper
Executive Vice President, Human Resources Americas
Shell Oil Company
Michael D’Ambrose
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Michael L. Davis
Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources
General Mills, Inc.
Susan F. Davis
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Dennis T. Delaney
Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Administration
Ingram Industries Inc.
James D. DeVries
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Allstate Insurance Company
John DiBenedetto
Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer
General Parts Inc.
James J. Duffy
Chief Human Resources Officer
Ally Financial Inc.
Robert L. Duffy
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration
Harris Corporation
Ceree Eberly
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
The Coca-Cola Company
Joann M. Eisenhart
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Northwestern Mutual
David J. Esler
Chief Human Resources Officer
US Foods
September 10, 2013
Page 4
Edward A. Evans
Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Univar, Inc.
Robyn Ewing
Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
The Williams Companies, Inc.
Peter M. Fasolo
Chief Human Resources Officer
Johnson & Johnson
Richard R. Floersch
Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
McDonald’s Corporation
Melanie M. Foley
Senior Vice President, Manager, Human Resources and Administration
Liberty Mutual Group, Inc.
Roger C. Gaston
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Avaya Inc.
Michael Geary
Corporate Vice President, Human Resources
Kiewit Corporation
Anita Graham
Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer
The ADT Corporation
Jennifer L. Grant
Vice President, Human Resources
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Kimberly S. Hauer
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Caterpillar Inc.
Joseph C. High
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Charles H. Hill
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Pfizer Inc.
Anne Hill
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer
Avery Dennison Corporation
Sunita Holzer
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Computer Sciences Corporation
Tim Huval
Chief Human Resources Officer
Humana Inc.
Mark R. James
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications
Honeywell International Inc.
Leslie W. Joyce
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
Novelis, Inc.
Paul J. Karre
Senior Vice President, HR and Communications
International Paper Company
September 10, 2013
Page 5
Tracy Keogh
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Hewlett-Packard Company
Pamela O. Kimmet
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.
Jay L. Kloosterboer
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Dover Corporation
Lawrence J. Krema
Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Operations
Simon Property Group
Angela S. Lalor
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Danaher Corporation
Denise Lynn
Senior Vice President – People
American Airlines Inc.
Neil E. Marchuk
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
TRW Automotive
Bill Mateikis
Senior Vice President, HR & Legal
Daikin McQuay Americas
William Matson
Chief Human Resource Officer
Analog Devices, Inc.
Teresa E. McCaslin
Executive Vice President – Chief Human Resources & Administrative Officer
Continental Grain Company
John McDevitt
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Labor Relations
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Eileen McGuire
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.
Michael L. Meyer
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Ecolab, Inc.
Kenneth F. Meyers
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer
Hospira, Inc.
MaryAnn Miller
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Avnet, Inc.
Jeffrey Mook
Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
21st Century Fox
Harold Morgan
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
White Lodging Corporation
John M. Murabito
Executive Vice President, Human Resources & Services
Cigna Corporation
Larry L. Myers
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Daisy Ng
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Darden Restaurants, Inc.
September 10, 2013
Page 6
Jed L. Norden
Senior Vice President Human Resources
The ServiceMaster Company
Susan C. Nutson
Senior Vice President – Human Resources
Saint-Gobain Corporation
Dermot J. O’Brien
Chief Human Resources Officer
Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Walter M. Oliver
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration
General Dynamics Corporation
David A. Pace
Executive Vice President and Chief Resource Officer
Bloomin’ Brands Inc.
Jayne Parker
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
The Walt Disney Company
Kevin Pennington
Executive Vice President of Human Resources
Fiserv, Inc.
Cecile K. Perich
Senior Vice President Human Relations
McCormick & Company, Inc.
Susan P. Peters
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
General Electric Company
Mark A. Petrarca
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Public Affairs
A. O. Smith Corporation
Debra Plousha Moore
Chief Human Resources Officer, Executive Vice President
Carolinas HealthCare System
Marc C. Reed
Chief Administrative Officer
Verizon Communications Inc.
John P. Reing
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
SRA International
David A. Rodriguez
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Marriott International, Inc.
Michael G. Rohret
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Emerson
Sally A. Savoia
Vice President, Human Resources
Praxair, Inc.
Susan J. Schmitt
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Matthew W. Schuyler
Chief Human Resources Officer
Hilton Worldwide
Daniel S. Serbin
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Parker Hannifin Corporation
Jeffrey S. Shuman
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
September 10, 2013
Page 7
John M. Steele
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
HCA Inc.
Larry E. Steward
Vice President, Human Resources
DTE Energy Company
Perry Stuckey
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Eastman Chemical Company
Susan M. Suver
Vice President, Human Resources
U.S. Steel Corporation
Mara E. Swan
Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Talent
ManpowerGroup
Jim M. Sweet
Chief Human Resources Officer
Newell Rubbermaid Inc.
Teresa J. Tanner
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Fifth Third Bank
Kurt J. Thomas
Vice President Human Resources
Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation
Johnna G. Torsone
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Peter Vrijsen
Chief Human Resources Officer
Cargill, Incorporated
Sara Wade
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Express Scripts, Inc.
Sylvia R. Wagner
Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Development
Assurant, Inc.
Carole S. Watkins
Chief Human Resources Officer
Cardinal Health, Inc.
Robb Webb
Chief Human Resources Officer
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Thomas W. Weidenkopf
Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Communications
Aleris International, Inc.
Scott A. Weisberg
Chief People Officer
The Wendy’s Company
Kathleen Weslock
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Eileen G. Whelley
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
XL Global Services, Inc
September 10, 2013
Page 8
Darla Whitaker
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Human Resources
Texas Instruments Incorporated
Richard Williams
SVP Human Resources & Interim CHRO
Western Union
Kimberly G. Windrow
Vice President, Human Resources
WESCO International
Christine A. Wolf
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
ATK
The companies listed want high skilled workers, not tomato pickers from Meheeko, and if they don’t get the HiBs, they’ll outsource to Bangalore and Bulgaria.
I’d be interesting to see how many layoffs those signees handed out and full time Positions they cut back to part time in the last 2 years. Along with the Golden Parachutes handed out to the Corporate Whores who are pushing this crap.
should not the democrat party be championing the fight against this letter? what is the democrat party position on it?
We are a resource-poor country. Not enough cheap labor. We need people who can work, live 2-3 families in a house and drive and old car without insurance.
Because the “Law Abiding Citizen” ie. gullible sucker, cannot maintain their law abiding status by keeping up with all the regulations and taxes without descending into either poverty or as a ward of the state....
The company’s goal is money as it should be.
The government’s goal should be the welfare of all. So government needs to grow a spine and just say no.
______________
Exactly!
When the big Business lobby uses government to keep their small and medium competition in check and when the government colludes to this degree we have a socialist/fascist big government/business oligarchy.
Sunita Holzer Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Computer Sciences Corporation
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