H-1B video: Our goal is clearly not to find a qualified ... US worker

[zoobiedoo]

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9025268&source=NLT_MGT&nlid=23

H-1B video shocker: 'Our goal is clearly not to find a qualified ... U.S. worker'
Programmer group posts video of law firm's hiring advice on YouTube
Patrick Thibodeau

June 19, 2007 (Computerworld) -- The high-tech industry can tap big names, such as Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, to argue that the U.S. needs more foreign workers with IT skills. But opponents of the H-1B visa program have a weapon that may prove just as effective: YouTube.

The Programmers Guild, a professional organization in Summit, N.J., has posted a video (see below) on YouTube LLC's Web site featuring excerpts from a series of videos that had been posted previously by Pittsburgh-based law firm Cohen & Grigsby PC. The law firm's videos were recorded May 15 during a seminar and apparently were intended to provide free legal tips to hiring managers and other viewers.

But the video put together by the Programmers Guild is providing explosive material for H-1B critics.

In the video, a person identified as Lawrence Lebowitz, an attorney at Cohen & Grigsby, explains a method that can be used for hiring foreign workers under the U.S. government's Program Electronic Review Management process. PERM stipulates requirements for placing help wanted ads to fill job vacancies, with the intent of either hiring U.S. workers or showing that no qualified Americans are available.

However, Lebowitz focuses only on the latter in the video. "Our goal is clearly not to find a qualified and interested U.S. worker," he said. "And that, in a sense, sounds funny, but it's what we are trying to do here."

He added that while "complying with the law fully," the objective is to get a prospective foreign worker a green card "and to get through the labor certification process." He and other panelists go on to explain the ways in which employers can legally reject applicants to meet that goal.

Lebowitz didn't answer calls to his office seeking comment on the matter, and a receptionist at Cohen & Grigsby referred calls to a public relations representative, who didn't return them.

The video really is quite shocking. The lack of conscience necessary to say and do such things just boggles my mind.

 

[Al Today]

Shortage of techies here in the USofA? Bite me. I really try not to hold a grudge, but I lost my livelyhood, my savings, my home, owed the gubement thousands of bucks, mostly thanks to these H-1B visa dudes. I fought the financial downslide and lost after about two(2) years of stress. I could not compete with progammer body shops charging half rates. I make more money working in-house than I could nowadays as a consultant. And I am one of the lucky ones. I made the scale back, life style adjustment, after losing everything. Thirty years experience won't get you squat when these child managers can get bodies for cheap. Quantity not quality is the motto. Many managers live on the five(5) year plan. They don't plan on being there five(5) years from now. So they wanna look good (financially) right now, and the hell with the future. I try to be amused... I have many, many stories about arrogance and deceit, but oh well... sigh... Yeah, I am bitter. I just can't shut that program off.

edit: the downslide began shortly after Y2K

I know this is not any one person's fault. I cannot fault any person who wants to better themself. This is just part of the world reorganization according to the Elders of Zion. Again, my observation and could be wrong.