Qwest's overseas hires irk workers: Sometimes cheaper to go abroad, firm says

Rocky Mountain News ^ | May 11, 2002 | Jeff Smith

[sinkspur]

For the average American there is no benefit. What are we gaining by letting these corporations have their cake and let them eat it to.

They are paying U.S. taxes, and, depending on what they produce, the "average American" benefits from lower prices.

Forcing businesses to be non-competitive will force them to leave or go out of business. Either way, Americans won't get jobs.

[sinkspur]

And you also missed the fact that I said that business that incorporate wihtin the United States, and move any part of their operations overseas, their executives shall be charged with treason.

Treason has a specific meaning in the Constitution. You don't get to drag everyone whose actions you don't approve of under the umbrella of "treason."

Unions force companies to pay non-competitive wages. That's why unions are losing members: companies are reincorporating offshore because they can't afford the union contracts.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"As to India, the quality of and productivity of Indian programmers and project managers are equal to American workers"

Now way. As a veteran of the consulting business, I know that this is true. And, no, outsourcing may be on the rise, but H1-B workers are not. Most companies will not sponsor H1-Bs. The cost is too high, and many AMERICAN companies are refusing their work. I just took a contract from an Indian firm, and one primary reason is that the owner of the company, a re-blooded American, desired an American company to do the work. The quality of the Indian firm was low, the cost was rising, the time to complete was dragging on, and there was no on in America to complain to. The few workers that the Indian firm had were busy communicating with the Indian firm, and not producing. This is typical of off-shore workers.

[Lessismore]

Although companies have been outsourcing to India for a number of years, there seems to be a real push to move work offshore to India in the last few months.

My suspicion is that the US government has passed the word to the major US coporations that it is in the "US' interest" to provide more business to India in return for actual or anticipated cooperation in the war on terrorism. This is the sort of "off the books" foreign aid that can be done by executive jawboning and doesn't require legislation or have to pass through the US treasury.

Can you or anyone else confirm?

[PatrioticAmerican]

You are very ignorant, economically speaking. National and economic sovereignty are not communism. Global desires of world trade are, comradski.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Maybe in some circles you are right, but my analysis is that there is a complete reversal of the trend, which started a few years ago. The Indians who came here as H1-B workers have started their own companies, and they are using off-shore workers. They have marketed the "cost savings" to major companies. Now that even their H1-B visas are drying up, I am seeing less of these people. their delivery is also next to useless in many cases and there is no one accountable in the US, so many US companies are backing away from off-shore companies.

[blueriver]

They are paying U.S. taxes-depending on what they produce, the "average American" benefits from lower prices. Forcing businesses to be non-competitive will force them to leave or go out of business. Either way, Americans won't get jobs.

I am not trying to force them to be non-competitive. I said all corporations that hire foreigners instead of Americans or outsource to foreign countries should "ALL" be forced to pay a price. If they think they could do better in another country then let them leave.

[CIBvet]

You conveniently forgot to add, in YOUR world, YOUR company will use the absolute cheapest labor to be found on the planet, period ... little children who should be in school, political prisoners, slaves and other 3rd World desperates etc, ... sufferers all, who are available 24/7 into the forseeable future, w/o any pesky gov oversight(that can't be bought off) or overlying moral authority.

Just so 1rudeboy and the rest of the GREEDMONSTERS can kick back in splendor watching their portfolios grow.

Ain't PREDATORY Capitalism great, comrade.

[Torie]

Unions in the private sector have little impact on wages except in highly ogligopolistic industries, such as the auto industry used to be, and say a company like UPS which has a near monopoly. The force of the invisible hand and competitive pressures simply precludes it, as economic theory would predict.

[discostu]

Or we could destroy the unions that have priced the American worker out of the market. Businesses exist to make money. If you've got two potential candidates for a job, with equal skills and experience and one is going to cost 1/3 to 1/2 has much as the other which should you hire? It's not the companies' fault that the over priced worker is the American. They've got to make the sound business decision and keep their labor costs as low as possible.

[1rudeboy]

You inspired me to post the following article:

Novartis to Move Global Lab to U.S.

Feel free to challenge my ignorance there, and be sure to read my comment at the bottom. It's for you. Love,

[1rudeboy]

Ahh . . . the evils of predatory capitalism. My eyes grow misty as I remember (the days that I actually do remember) my days studying economics in Ann Arbor. Where did you study yours? Berkeley? Madison? Amherst?

[1rudeboy]

Maybe this link will work.

[PatrioticAmerican]

You have a liberal arts degree from Ann Arbor? Ya just made the point that your working knowledge of national economics is distorted.

[PatrioticAmerican]

OK. but your link responds, "The requested document does not exist on this server." hehe

[PatrioticAmerican]

What does an article on the EU, which forced out a company, have to do with open national economics, where companies take advantage of open world trade and go overseas for cheap labor?

Again, I challenge your knowledge of national economics and the impact of different cultures and economies.

Do you really think that one economics system should take advantage of another at the detriment of your own nation? If you really think that we as a nation do not have a economic environment separate from the world, move to Europe and have fun there.

[bloggerjohn]

Well, let's see - our basic productive capacity is being shipped to China, weapons manufacture to Australia, and IT to India. I guess I'd better learn how to take in laundry.

What stinks is these corporations become rich by relying on American technology, education, transportation, capital markets, healthcare, law enforcement, communication and infrastructure of every kind. This is a huge wealth-engine created by millions of Americans that have gone before that is Not available in other nations. But then these corporations flee when it is time to pay back with jobs. I bet very few of them could Start Up in India or Bangladesh.

[bloggerjohn]

"India has the highest number of college graduates per capita of any country in the world."

So we are getting whipped by our educational system?

You know, for forty years I've watched every politician who was ever elected promise to improve our educational system. It's like some sort of ritual.

I guess that's All it is.