Take A Stand: Vote against H1B, Boycott H1B Companies

Self | November 2, 2002 | FormerLurker

[FormerLurker]

It's almost as if they're deliberately sabotaging any hope we have for a future. One would have to ask themselves the questions, why, and who exactly do they serve?

[Mini-14]

"Don't the H1B visa personnel get laid off before citizens ? That's the law, isn't it ?"

At two previous companies where I worked, Americans were the first ones to be let go. H1-Bs stayed.

[A. Pole]

I agree, it's bad enough that has occurred, but I can't figure out for the life of me, how the US can contunue to incurr the damages brought on by the IMBALANCE of trade!!!!, or the trade deficit, as some call it.

So long as dollar is recognised as the world currency the deficit can be balanced with the printing of money. Paper is much cheaper than the cost of real manufacturing.

[Robert Lomax]

Looks to me the Republicans are much to blame for the immigration problem. Hold on to your hat here...I work for the INS and most INS Officers are fed of with the way things are going. For nearly every law to keep illegal aliens out there is a waiver that allows these criminals, illegal to adjust their status and eventually become Americans. I find it interesting that of lately the Republicans have slammed the INS for a myriad of problems that they, the law makers, wrote the laws allowing these problems to fester.

I wish most Americans understood the immigration laws that congressmen write up.

Here's another one. Congressmen are representatives for their constiuants, American citizens. However, you wouldn't believe the aliens that write "our" congressmen who then follow up, and well you already guessed it, ask the INS to approve their petitions.

Enough, I needed to vent.

[Robert Lomax]

Remember, for nearly every immigration law there waiver.

[nanny]

[You're both wrong, of course - but it's hard to stop a good socialist rant when it starts.... ]

The name calling again. First I probably need a definition of what you call socialism.

But what do you find to disgree with ont he subject of corporate welfare. Do you not believe the outrageous farm bill, the importation of millions of illegals (who costs the country as a whole, rather than contributes), the trade bills negotiated with corporations in mind rather than America and its people, the loaning of monies to build factories in foreign countries, use of taxpayers dollars to pay unemployment and reeducation for displaced American workers, etc. is responsible for much of our problems.

Now I am a capitalist, I think. There again, I may not know the intellectual definition of it. I have always considered it to be the freedom to do business and make a profit, if you have a product people want or need and the ability to run a company. I would assume that should entail the government not interferring, unless there is a breaking of the law that harms this country or its people. What is that, educate me.

NOw if we assume that, we must also assume it means the government does not make laws that gives taxpayers money to those corporations, or make treaties that benefit those corporations (to the detriment of the people or the country), or demand that taxpayers subsidize their workers so they can make a profit, or import skilled workers to undercut the wages and create unemployment for its own citizens. Now what is that - it certainly doesn't fit my idea of capitalism - educate me.

Actually social welfare quite often goes hand in hand with corporate welfare. Take the low cost housing, low cost government loans, food stamps, WIC. These are all social programs loved by the construction industry, agribusiness, the grocery industry, etc. The government needs to get out of business altogether. You don't have to be a socialist to not want to have your wages taken to underwrite the profits of corporations. What do you call someone who advocates using taxpayer dollars to do this?

Actually, calling it coporate welfare is nicer than what I really believe it to be. But if you can't find a way to debate or refute the statement - then name-call away - it works for some - not me. I see it for what it is - an absence of ideas, facts, or common sense.

[dinodino]

Should have gone to Jacksonville. Lots of jobs here.

[FormerLurker]

Looks to me the Republicans are much to blame for the immigration problem.

I've noticed that too. Of course, many Democrats have had their hands in the pie as well. It truly is a "bipartisan" fiasco.

I wish most Americans understood the immigration laws that congressmen write up.

Sad thing is, most people don't really bother reading the paper. In fact, many of these laws never make the front page, if any page at all.

Congressmen are representatives for their constiuants, American citizens.

Politicians pretend to care about their "constituents" by debating such lofty subjects as term limits, the "need" for diversity in the workplace, social security, etc, etc, etc. But when it comes right down to it, they obviously don't give a rat's a** about anyone but themselves and their pocketbook...

The PRIMARY reason for the existance of a federal government is to provide for the defense of our country and its people. However, it appears that those who write the laws today are more concerned with the so-called rights of foreign nationals than the interests and welfare of our own citizens.

[SoCar]

Should have gone to Jacksonville. Lots of jobs here.

He sent tons of resumes to supposed "jobs" in Jacksonville, posted it to job sites, etc., and never got so much as a response. After Tampa, Jacksonville was our next choice. Can you tell me exactly where these jobs are?

[dinodino]

Sure, if you're talking about IT jobs, they're primarily transportation, banking, and insurance. Don't bother with Monster.com, however; most of the job listings there are stale. I can't say regarding the other job boards, Monster is the one I'm familiar with.

For non-IT, construction is good, with a big building boom to the south of Jax.

[Red Jones]

Here's a link to Professor Matloff's research:

http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/itaa.real.html

Matloff's main focus is to document that there is no shortage of 'high-tech' or engineering people in America. He documents meticulously that this idea is a fraud. Matloff also shows convincingly that this H1b will succeed at discouraging young americans from entering these types of work. That is a disaster.

Another aspect of H1b that people forget is that an H1b person has his payroll taxes withheld, but that these taxes don't get deposited into the social security and medicaid funds as with other workers. Instead, all the money goes direct to the home country's government to encourage them to continue educating and training people for the american market. So, for every H1b hired from India the indian government makes about $45,000 that would otherwise go to the social security fund. H1B results in taking about 8 billion a year from the social security fund.

People also forget that H1B includes a lot of workers who are not high-tech and non-software, non-engineering. It includes accountants, doctors, physical therapists and many other categories. Check the database on the link provided above, you'll see cooks in restaurants, personal attendants, horse exercisers, stable attendants and many others. I found a fellow working as a construction manager for a general contractor, he was H1b.

There is no job category that can't have its wages smashed downwards through h1b. FormerLurker you are 100% correct in that we should all vote against all politicians who vote for this program. That means voting against George Bush, voting against 90% of all republicans and democrats both. That is what I'm going to do.

[Red Jones]

I did a search for my city. I found that they had a stucco applicator working for a stucco company as H1B immigrant. I found a bricklayer working for a masonry firm, another h1b. I found a cook working at the Chinese restaurant a block from my house. I found lots of stable attendants. Physical therapists at the hospital nearby.

There are also companies that specialize in hiring h1b's because they have sooo many of them. I found a construction manager working for a general contractor. I found marketing people, accountants, financial analysts, business analysts.

H1B is a sick program. FormerLurker is correct. Look at the link he provides. Look in your state, look at your congressman and your senator that are up for re-election on Tuesday. If the site says this fellow supports h1b, then vote against that politician.

[SoCar]

I thought that we were talking about IT jobs. That's what he does. The sites I'm talking about are Dice.com and computerjobs. Actually, it was through one of those that he found his job here in SC. Of course thay completely lied about the position. If they had told him what the job was really like he might not have taken it, but then again we were getting desperate.

[FormerLurker]

There is no job category that can't have its wages smashed downwards through h1b.

That is quite true. Although there isn't as much attention given to other fields as there is in relation to computer related jobs, the same thing IS taking place. In those other areas it seems more of a slow, insidious malignancy, where although not immediately obvious, is there nonetheless.

FormerLurker you are 100% correct in that we should all vote against all politicians who vote for this program. That means voting against George Bush, voting against 90% of all republicans and democrats both. That is what I'm going to do.

I'm going to vote against any politician who supported this affront against the American people. Our current breed of politician talks a good game, but when it comes down to that which matters most, they betray the trust of those who they are supposed to be representing. The sad thing is, it might be difficult to find a politician that DOESN'T support this anti-American agenda.

[dark_lord]

There are limited solutions to what we can do as individuals, but here are some suggestions:

1st, write your congressman & Senator. If enough people do that, it will help - in general, but not right away.
2nd, someone who is dedicated, single, with no kids to support could form a nonprofit, get pissed off people to join and pay dues - if 100,000 laid off IT types each kicked in $25, that $2.5M would hire some decent lobbyists. Then lobby directly against the megacorp lobbyists. That is the way to play the game.
3rd, in the mean time, go independent. Hire on as a contractor. If you have good skills you can make $50 - $125 hour, depending on what those skills are. After all, they aren't paying your FICA/FOKA/FUKA whatever, nor your medical/dental/life benefits, and will dump you at the end of the contract - so it is worth it to them to pay you more per hour than you would make as a salaried employee.

[FormerLurker]

3rd, in the mean time, go independent. Hire on as a contractor.

For every one contract opening, there are probably over 70 highly qualified candidates that apply. Additionally, contract positions are few and far between these days...

[ExpatCanuck]

I'm joining this discussion rather late, and if something akin to what I want to say may have been posted already, I apologize for not reading all the posts.

I recently hired 2 new employees, one a US citizen and one an H1 visa holder. They are both being hired to do the same type of job and are both being paid salaries that are very close in range to one another. We are a full service consulting firm and don't make our money providing only 'bodies'. I think where the abuse is happening is the body shops that hire H1 visa holders at very low rates and then 'farm' them out to other companies at slightly below prevailing rate.

[FormerLurker]

I recently hired 2 new employees, one a US citizen and one an H1 visa holder. They are both being hired to do the same type of job and are both being paid salaries that are very close in range to one another.

Well at least that's better than laying off the US citizen in order to make room for the H1B. One question though. Why not just hire two Americans? That WOULD seem to be the easier way to go instead of having to import someone from another country.

[tickles]

the worker paid zero taxes and lives here for free and never needs a bite to eat. Where can I get one of these magic Visas?
>>>>>>>

ok, just curious, do these workers actually pay income taxes or do they get a tax free ride for 7 yrs. like leagle immigrants?

[Red Jones]

the bulk of the taxes that are normally paid for people in these jobs are withheld in payroll taxes. Those payroll taxes for an h1b are withheld, but instead of the money going to social security medicaire, etc it goes to home country. So, in essence our economy is taxed to send money to home government to encourage them to continue producing such people. I bet they pay income taxes, but I'm not sure.