Posted on 07/09/2002 2:18:45 AM PDT by sarcasm
Edited on 04/13/2004 3:36:39 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Yashwant Bhambhani rode the high-tech wave of the late 1990s, coming to Boston from India under a special visa for skilled workers to propel the dot-com explosion that invigorated the economies of California, Colorado, and Massachusetts.
In those days, he'd send out a resume and - presto! - get a half dozen calls back. People like Bhambhani were greeted with fanfare by members of Congress, the information technology industry - and even labor unions. The record number of high-tech guest workers was seen as an engine for the seemingly limitless growth of the New Economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
That's pretty arrogant.
Around here, a lot of techies who worked in year 2000 conversions and for startups found themselves looking for jobs. Unemployment is still low, so I imagine that most found a way to work or get by.
But, these were temporary visas. And, these are intelligent and educated people. If they went to their homelands, they could bring their ideals of accomplishment and democracy with them, and do a lot more to spread our ideals world wide than having than having to fight wars will do.
Maybe the state colleges and universities are going to have to do a better job training people for these jobs, since so many seats in the private universities go to foreign students.
Great, let us move American scientists to the service jobs.
The lobby for inport of cheaper foreign labour does not change its stand. See: Living Today: Issues of modern living
Companies throughout the industrialized world soon will face a huge shortage of skilled labor, which accentuates the acute need for effective succession planning, according to a Pennsylvania State University human resources expert. "With a massive baby boomer retirement wave close at hand, prolonged vacancies in critical positions could mean a crisis for organizations perhaps equal to that posed by corporate bankruptcies and accounting firm gaffes," says William J. Rothwell, professor of workforce education and development. In the past, organizations faced with a scarcity of skilled labor could import workers from overseas. This might become less feasible in light of the current War on Terrorism and increased restrictions on visa applications. The customary job description focuses on what people do rather than on results obtained. Competency modeling is based on people analysis and to spot the exemplary performer. "The exemplary performer may be as much as 20 times more productive than his or her average-performing counterparts in the same job category," Rothwell says. In theory, by lifting all performers up to levels closer to those of the superstar performer in each job category, an organization could get up to 20 times the output from existing staff, Rothwell says.
[sarcasm] Gee, that must be why India imports thousands of American workers, right?
It's time this country stopped being everyone's chump.
And they're either given lower wages or fewer benefits. In fact folks, "excessive" benefits is what the companies DON'T want to pay. Take health care, for example. An over 40 worker simply, on a statistical average, needs more. Younger and foreign workers need less. Also, why hire someone who's going to cost the company lots of money in 10-15-20 years due to retirement? There is CERTAINLY discrimination of older workers in the high tech fields. From an economic sense, to the companies, it makes sense. But try finding a job at 55, say. I am only 44, and have a secure job (now), but geesh, it's a concern. Too many of my older brethren are having problems.
Especially that older workers have families, children and school/college expenses.
U.S. corps are paying MORE to the foreigners and expecting less just to say they have Indians or Pakis or whatever in their workgroup. It's about diversity, first, then youth. All other concerns---that foreigners can do jobs Americans can't---are red herrings, especially in the job market of today.
My experience in the corporate HQ is that 100% credence is given to ANYTHING an Indian says, to anything said by someone fresh out of MBA school. It is very un-pc to heed the words of experienced, "older" white males. Managers are AFRAID of being involved with older or white or male Americans. Managers know that they are SAFE with THEIR bosses if they simply do everything with "diverse", preferably foreign, people. The appearance counts much more than any substance in today's corporate world.
Now, my question to you and hopefully to all freepers I can find who can shed some light of knowledge and wisdom on this: a sharp, young female friend with 2 BS degrees---one in MIS---was an intern in a large corporation along with a foreign, non-citizen here on an H1B. There was one job, and that job was given to the H1B worker, and the young girl, a local person (she had THAT going agst her, besides being American), was given her walking papers. Ironically, the H1B worker is a +40, white male! But he is from another country, and this corporation worships at the feet of other cultures. ...My question is: does this woman have any recourse? Supposedly, to have the H1B the corp would have to verify that the man is doing something they could find no one else to do. That is demonstrably not the case with this equally educated and qualified AMERICAN citizen who got canned so the foreigner could have the job.
Does anyone know what her options are?
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