Imported Cheap Labor Displacing American Professionals

There is a disturbing phenomenon that's infiltrating information technology (I.T.) departments in corporations throughout Connecticut, and indeed the entire nation. This is the replacement of American computer and other professionals by foreign nationals because of cheap labor.

The issue is not immigration. Legal immigration, with sensible limits, should be applauded and embraced by us all. I'm not speaking of "outsourcing," the transfer of jobs overseas to turn a better profit; nor am I talking about protectionism or any adverse free trade philosophies.

Observe very carefully what is occurring now in companies such as Pfizer, General Electric, and the insurance industry in Hartford. Foreign workers from countries like Pakistan and India are brought onto U.S. soil for the sole purpose of displacing taxpaying American citizens who earn higher (than Third World) salaries. These foreign workers are not applying for citizenship; they are not better educated, have no desire for assimilation into our culture, and pose potential security risks. They are issued "L1" and "H-1B" (acronyms for legislative bills) nonimmigrant business visas and can then stay in this country indefinitely because the H-1B laws are poorly written and not enforced.

Witnessing firsthand the spectacle of friends and associates, all of whom are American citizens with homes and families, losing their livelihoods to these foreign "L1" and "H-1B" visa holders ultimately begs the question: "What's wrong with this picture?"

The citizenry of the United States is willing to make, and has made, the ultimate sacrifice on battlefields throughout the world so that U.S. citizens and corporations alike can operate within an environment of unheard of peace and freedom. In return, we ask only that we be afforded the rights in the U.S. Constitution that we fight for: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Giving our jobs away to people who are not from our country not only destroys our livelihood, but more importantly, robs us of the essence of what we fight to defend.

H-1B's and L1's are herded into America by the tens of thousands annually by corporations that have enjoyed the safest and richest consumer market in history, but have rejected the fact they are "American" and now define themselves as "global" entities. They cite their global image and pretend there is a "shortage" of skilled workers as justification for their actions, but in reality their real goal is cheap labor at any cost.

Labor shortage? Nothing on earth could be further from the truth. Even during the Y2K computer scare there were resources enough to get the job done. With Y2K behind us, the recent dot.com crash, recession and rising unemployment, the contention of a labor shortage is nothing more than a hoax. For every I.T. job opening in Connecticut there are up to 100 resumes available within an hour. In places like California, it's more like 400-500 resumes available within an hour's time. Starting salaries for programmers in India are roughly $5,000 per year. Here in the U.S., starting salaries are roughly $45,000. Americans are forced to compete as if our hands are tied behind our backs.

In the Greater Hartford area, it seems like every other week we read about layoffs at one of the insurance companies. Yet the numbers of foreigners on H-1B and L1 visas are constantly burgeoning at those institutions. Remarkably, I have also observed that, in certain instances, before being terminated the American must train his H-1B replacement about his job duties, or is otherwise threatened with loss of severance pay and the shot at another opportunity that "may arise" before his or her departure.

One can only envision an inherent problem on the political landscape for organizations or individuals that consistently deal with large segments of the public and do not put America's interests first. It's not only unpatriotic, but unthinkable—especially at a time of war—that organizations playing such a large part in our community would be allowed to conduct business in this manner. Sadly, politicians hungry for corporate campaign cash have obliged their corporate donors by riddling the H-1B program with loopholes and extensions. The time for sunset is long overdue on this distinctly un-American and grossly abused legislation.