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HARRIS MILLER ALERT!!!
Someone wrote a fantastic editorial calling Harris Miller out on his idiotic statements about e-voting machines.
posted by gmminks
8/24/2004
link
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Displaced Techies
allow american workers to participate in the global economy!
Tuesday August 31, 2004
Seventh year extension of H-1B now properly enforced
This article claims this is bad news for H-1B's
Apparently, the USCIS was allowing an applicant to file an extension request up to six months before the expiry of the six year limit.
"A clarification from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service states that an H-1B visa holder may file for a seventh year extension only if the labour certification application, on the basis of which the visa will be issued, has been pending for a year."
"The American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act allows an H-1B visa holder to a seventh year extension, provided the labour certification application or an I-140 petition was 365 days prior to the sixth year."
"It would seem that the USCIS had accepted that there was no need for the certification application to be pending for more than 365 days — a position it has since reversed"
A little history...
The American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, also known as S.2045 was passed in 2000 and increased the H-1B cap to 195,000 for fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003.
It also included the following provision:
SEC. 106. SPECIAL PROVISIONS IN CASES OF LENGTHY ADJUDICATIONS.
2(a) EXEMPTION FROM LIMITATION
The limitation contained in section 214(g)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(4)) with respect to the duration of authorized stay shall not apply to any non-immigrant alien previously issued a visa or otherwise provided nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of that Act on whose behalf a petition under section 204(b) of that Act to accord the alien immigrant status under section 203(b) of that Act, or an application for adjustment of status under section 245 of that Act to accord the alien status under such section 203(b) has been filed, if 365 days or more have elapsed since—(1) the filing of a labor certification application on the alien’s behalf (if such certification is required for the alien to obtain status under such section 203(b)); or (2) the filing of the petition under such section 204(b).
The only thing all this tells me is that this part of the bill wasn't being enforced properly.
Well, it looks like it is now.
I wonder how long this has been going on and what caused the USCIS to start enforcing it correctly?
11:38 pm
Tuesday August 31, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Electronic voting machines have scary software
reporting a scary feature programmed into the software running Diebold's electronic voting machines. According to their site:
"By entering a 2-digit code in a hidden location, a second set of votes is created. This set of votes can be changed, so that it no longer matches the correct votes. The voting system will then read the totals from the bogus vote set. It takes only seconds to change the votes, and to date not a single location in the U.S. has implemented security measures to fully mitigate the risks."
We have already reported that Harris Miller does not thing that the electronic voting machines need a paper trail. He is getting paid big money to represent that industry.
05:39 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Unemployment Line at the RNC tomorrow
On Wednesday, September 1, THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE, a symbolic unemployment line representing the 1.2 million jobs lost overall since March 2001 and the more than eight million Americans who are currently unemployed, will wind through New York City. More than 5,000 citizens, each holding a pink slip, will form a line stretching from the corner of Broadway and Wall St., up to 31st St. and then west along 31st St to 7th Ave. - right across from Madison Square Garden and the site of the Republican National Convention. The line is being organized by People For the American Way; The Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues, and Ideas; and the New York State AFL-CIO.
I will post pics if I find any!
Get the news on whats really going on with the protests in NYC from the nycindymedia
05:03 pm
posted by gmminks
link
CEOs who outsource get better raises
According to a Reuters.com article:
"The fact that leading outsourcers make more money than average CEOs is one more reflection of a perverse system that rewards executives for making decisions that may improve their bottom line while hurting workers and communities," the Institute said in its 11th annual survey"
04:03 pm
posted by gmminks
link
H1B visa cap for FY2005 almost reached
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it had received 40,000 H-1B applications toward the FY2005 cap as of 4 August 2004. Approximately 21,000 applications have been approved and 19,000 are currently being processed. If this trend continues, it is likely that H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year 2005 will be filled near the beginning of fiscal year 2004 on 1 October. It is unlikely that the US Government will increase this cap especially during the current election season.
03:37 pm
posted by gmminks
link
GOP's position on increasing the H1B visa cap
The education reforms we propose elsewhere in this platform will, over time, greatly increase the number of highly qualified workers in all sectors of the American economy. To meet immediate needs, however, we support increasing the number of H-1B visas to ensure high-tech workers in specialized positions, provided such workers do not pose a national security risk; and we will expand the H-2A program for the temporary agricultural workers so important to the nation's farms
Are the Republicans crazy? Do they really think that people need to be retrained? And if we need agricultural workers so badly, why not let some Americans pick the tomatoes for a while?
Bush has always favored an increase in immigration. Back when Clinton was president, he zazona.com/shameh1b/library/archives/bushh1b.pdf">urged the administration to increase limits on the H1-B visa program.
There is no doubt in my mind who must be the next president.
03:21 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Monday August 30, 2004
Billionaires for bush say...
07:31 pm
Monday August 30, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Another 9-11 toy
06:00 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Samina officially sending axed jobs overseas
A couple of weeks ago we posted information about Samina closing a plant in Wilmington and sending the jobs offshore.
It seems the selectmen in Wilmington have been working behind the scenes to get the plant to stay in MA. Now, Ken Messina, the rapid response director for the career services division, is hoping to get an emergency grant to give training to the laid off workers.
Where is Gov. Romney in the midst of all this? Where is his anti-outsourcing initiative? Why isn't his jobs package working? What does he have to say to this factory full of folks who are going to be unemployed soon?
Maybe he is too busy making the connections he needs for his next job to worry about a couple of hundred MA factory workers.
I feel a phone call campaign coming on. Wonder if this guy's dad wants to help with that.
06:29 am
posted by gmminks
link
Sunday August 29, 2004
DIY news from the RNC
via boing boing
04:03 pm
Sunday August 29, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Saturday August 28, 2004
These toys were made in China
via metafilter
04:01 pm
Saturday August 28, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Mitsubishi laying off in US
"Plant officials announced in July they plan to cut 1,200 union and nonunion jobs -- nearly 40 percent of the work force"
via Pantagraph.com
08:07 am
posted by gmminks
link
Do we enforce our immigration policies?
"While the popular stereotype of illegal immigrants is of Mexicans who sneak across the border, in reality more than a third of the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country are foreigners who overstayed nonimmigrant visas."
08:04 am
posted by gmminks
link
Gov't of India hopes to bypass state legislation with FTA
According to the EconomicTimes [India}, the government of India is so alarmed by the 200+ bills making their way through the state legislatures that they hope to "sign an overall bilateral trade policy with regard to trade in services with the US"
The Government in India will release The New Foreign Trade policy on Aug 31. The document "would broadly lay out "a fundamental framework" of how the country's foreign trade would evolve in the next five years."
In another article, the Ecomomic Times explains:
"The new policy is likely to be guided by one basic principle — ”taxes and duties are not exported”. Highly placed sources in the commerce ministry told ET that the policy would enable an exporter to claim back sales tax and excise duties of an exported ite"
08:01 am
posted by gmminks
link
Thursday August 26, 2004
India Daily retracts story on Partho Sarthi Ghosh
India Daily has printed the following retraction after receiving a complaint from the ITPAA regarding their earlier story that linked the ITPAA "and other such organisations" with the death of Partho Sartho Ghosh.
India Daily took the high road and did the right thing.
Update on ''Microsoft man goes to US for training, dies mysteriously''
Aug. 27, 2004
IndiaDaily retracts the breaking news linking ITPAA with the death of Microsoft contractor and Indian national Partho Sarthi Ghosh. We apologise for any inconvience created to ITPAA from this breaking news.
The BELLUVUE Police Department has stated that there is no sign of any trauma on Mr. Ghosh's body. Nor has the Police Department suggested that they believe that his death is in any manner a ''hate crime''. Additionally, there is no evidence whatsoever that links the Information Technology Professionals Association of America Inc. (ITPAA), a member of the ITPAA, nor a member of ''any such other organisation'' with the death of Partho Sarthi Ghosh.
According to Scott Kirwin, Founder, IT Professionals Association of America Inc. (ITPAA), the ITPAA does not and has never targeted Indian's nor launched campaigns against American firma hiring Indians. Many ITPAA members are of Indian ethnicity and the ITPAA membership is composed of members who hail from nations around the world. The ITPAA has launched campaigns against the H1-B and L-1 visa programs, and against firms that send American jobs abroad. The ITPAA does not take issue with, target, nor launch any campaign against the people who take these jobs.
09:49 pm
Thursday August 26, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Wednesday August 25, 2004
Political climate in China
Tiananmen Square Massacre
Human Rights in China
08:43 pm
Wednesday August 25, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
The Chamber of Commerce paid me a visit...
to see they could help a small business like mine (by getting me to join of course), but instead he got an ear full from me on their support of outsourcing.
I told the guy that I thought the Chamber was making a mistake with their support of outsourcing. "You're going down the wrong road" I said.
Their rep said "We think it will be good for the US in the long run." I told him in the long run it will do more harm than good-- all for short term gains.
I asked the guy if he knew the president of the Chamber of Commerce , Tom Donahue said in public that "People should stop whining" about losing their jobs?
He said he didn't know about that, and seemed to not believe me. I told him I'd show him the quote if he wanted to see it.
I told him that outsourcing hurts a lot of people and that I know people that have been unable to find jobs for two years because they are tech workers and their jobs were outsourced. All he could say is "Well, we think it will be good in the long run-- More money comes back into the economy than goes out."
I said good for who? HP?, Dell, EDS? I told him I've seen no credible evidence to support the argument that every $1 that goes out of the US gets $1.12 in return. I told him outsourcing causes our tax base to decline and creates buget problems for the states. And, it makes the states pick up the bill for unemployment insurance for unemployed /outsourced workers while the companies that axed their jobs and sent them overseas reap the profits. I told him I've received multiple solicitations to outsource my own work, and I knew other small businesses that had to shut down because of outsourcing.
He said "It's tough to defend it if you put it that way." I told him he was right-- It is indefensible.
Then he said something about a global economy and added "Outsourcing is part of free trade and free trade is good for everyone-- don't you think China will give it's workers better wages and better labor laws because of free trade and outsourcing?"
I said that's very unlikely to happen in my lifetime, or my children's.
(As we all know folks, China is a COMMUNIST country. The workers there will do what they are told to do and like it. Just because the Chinese goverment has been a bit more liberal in recent years doesn't mean they're a Democracy.)
Nothing, no response. Just nodded his head and said he had only read the Chamber of Commerce propanganda literature. Then he claimed to not understand all the issues.
That was obvious.
I was ready to tell him I thought free trade with China is a one way street and China will have 90 percent of the textile market in 2005 and ask him if he thought that was a good thing, but I didn't get a chance.
At least he knew when to leave.
I said "I hope you will tell your people in Washington that you had people refuse to join because of your support of outsourcing". He said he would.
08:03 pm
posted by rickrob
link
life is like monopoly
06:58 am
posted by gmminks
link
"homeshoring"
According to Alera (a US based services company)
9 out of 10 Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers and Chief Technology Officers from U.S. companies that currently offshore are considering bringing work back home in the face of mounting problems and more than 45% of these executives want a U.S.-based alternative to offshoring
Their study, "Outsourcing IT: Over There vs. Over Here" discusses the high costs of sending work overseas.
And they are hiring.
06:56 am
posted by gmminks
link
Tuesday August 24, 2004
California passes no-offshoring bill
The California Senate has passed a ban on offshoring of state contracts by a vote of 21-14. The Bill is sponsored by Assembly member Carol Liu and is now heading back to the Assembly for a vote on several senate amendments. The Assembly is expected to pass the bill and it's up to Gov. Schwarzenneger to sign or veto the bill.
“If this state wants to retain business and jobs in California , then we need to set an example by utilising domestic business, rather than sending work overseas,” Liu said.
"Jobs pump money back into the economy via income and sales tax revenue and reduce the number of people who need public assistance to survive. Offshoring may save money in the short term, but it will cost us more in the long run as more and more Californians find themselves jobless,” she added."
Way to go Carol.
More Here.
10:29 pm
Tuesday August 24, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Representative Parente questions the State Secretary
Representative Parente has written State Secretary Eric Kriss questioning the use of Deloitte & Touche as as state comptroller while they also have several service contracts (one of those we know ships state jobs overseas).
Read the letter here
Representative Parente sent a copy of that letter to me, along with this note:
As promised, please find enclosed a copy of my recent correspondence sent to Secretary for Administration and Finance Eric Criss regarding the outsourcing of state contracts to offshore companies.
In a state which prides itself as being among the technological leaders of the nation and the world, it is disturbing that our state government would be contracting with foreign vendors for goods and services that Massachusetts companies could provide.
I will continue to monitor this issue closely, and will report to you any response I may receive from Secretary Kriss.
Sincerely,
Marie J. Parente
Please don't give up on contacting your local representatives!
05:43 am
posted by gmminks
link
EDS & Seibel create BPO group
EDS and Siebel Systems will integrate Siebel Systems products with EDS services to create industry-specific outsourcing solutions. The companies will jointly sell to clients looking for business process strategy and solutions.
They are going to target manufacturing, financials, government, and transportation, for core functions such as F&A, HR, payroll.
Is this how the companies (ie Tata) plan to get around the impending outsourcing bans?
05:20 am
posted by gmminks
link
update on my jobs application
You may remember that I have applied for an admin job that I saw for the East Coast on Monster.com's India site. I FINALLY got a response.....
Hello Gina,
You had sent your cv to me. Will be interested in working for an Indian company in the East Coast Of USA. If yes, do furnish these details.
1. Sal Expectation -
2. Yrs of relv exp in Unix admin -
Thanks.
Best Regards
Nagendra Nachiketa
PV Shastri Associates
S 612,South Block, Manipal Center
Dickenson Road, Bangalore 560 042
25597097,25587752,25092202
I responded....the wait begins again.
05:18 am
posted by gmminks
link
Monday August 23, 2004
Citigroup scoops up an outsourcing company
Citigroup has acquired a majority interest in e-Serve International, one of the top five back-office outsourcing companies in India based on revenue. The 112 million dollar deal gives Citigroup an 87 percent majority stake.
So, now they own the company and have bought their way in to a never-ending supply of cheap labor. I'm sure they'll try their best to keep the wages as low as possible for the workers they employ in India, while they shed as many jobs as they can here.
07:05 pm
Monday August 23, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
LCAs for Deloite
Here is the page for Deloite & Touch's lcas for H1B visas.
If you have applied for one of these jobs, consider filing a complaint with the department of labor.
05:07 am
posted by gmminks
link
Sunday August 22, 2004
EMC plans to up its headcount
In India.
After focusing primarily on its US centres for its software development, the $6.24 billion storage major EMC seems to have suddenly found its feet in India.
It’s not just its engineering headcount that’s increasing; sales have also shot up and it is now the second largest storage vendor in the market after IT services giant Hewlett Packard.
The company acquired a niche software company called SANware to begin a small 20-person R&D unit in Bangalore and today has nearly 200 engineers in various development roles.
It plans to now scale up its operations to a 1,60,000 sq ft facility in Bangalore’s technology corridor, Mr Chris Gahagan, senior vice resident, storage management software at EMC told ET.
More here.
08:21 pm
Sunday August 22, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Saturday August 21, 2004
Why the H-1B should be Abolished
This is a good essay on the H-1B and why it should be abolished. It also ties in a little immigration reform as well.
It includes the text of a handout from the AEA that has some encouraging things to say in it like:
"Four out of five Americans oppose increasing H-1B visa limits, according to a survey conducted by Louis Harris & Associates Inc. 82% of a national cross-section of 1,000 adults opposed Congress "allowing U.S. companies to sponsor 190,000 additional foreign technical workers, as temporary employees for up to six years."
I think this is good news--If that's true, then more people are becoming aware that the H-1B program puts the screws to American workers.
"One of the major things AEA's lobbyists tell me is that Congress right now is terrified of outsourcing. Congressmen and their staffers are curled up in armchairs and hunched over desks all over Washington, reading all the recent articles on the phenomenon and trying to figure out whether free trade can survive. "
Good. They should be terrified. Many members of congress are complicit in the loss of jobs in the US due to H-1B and outsourcing / offshoring / insourcing. Maybe they will start listening to us now. Or we'll outsource them.
And regarding the alleged "Labor Shortage":
"AEA's lobbyists tell me that the single biggest conceptual point they feel the need to put across to the legislative aides that one actually talks to when one lobbies Congress is this: a labor shortage is not a legitimate concept. Once someone grasps this, most of the other details of this issue fall into place. As one lobbyist put it,
"I keep hearing about a 'labor shortage' from industry, but I can't find this concept in any economics textbook. I keep discovering that labor in a capitalist economy is a commodity like any other, that it has a market price, and that if you are prepared to pay the market price, the commodity is available to you, and if not, not.
There's no entitlement for businesses to have the labor they want at the price they want.
Anyone who says they can't find Americans to do these jobs is just not offering the market wage. And high market wages for Americans are a good thing to be encouraged, not a problem to be solved."
As we all know, there is no labor shortage, only a shortage of people that will work for nothing.
06:11 pm
Saturday August 21, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Call Centers in India want passive employees
Companies are realising that the low-profile quite guy who sticks to a job. And that the smart ones burn out easily. The enthusiastic ones are not cut out for monotonous tasks and get bored. Even the most attractive pay-packets are not enough to hold them back."
03:33 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Friday August 20, 2004
No FTA with India
In a written reply to a question whether the government had expressed its willingness to enter into a FTA on services with the US, Minister of State for Commerce E V K S Elangovan said "no".
He also replied in the negative to a question whether the prime minister had recently sought a review of India's FTAs in the wake of apprehensions aired by the domestic industry.
09:05 pm
Friday August 20, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Reverse outsourcing?
Do you know any professionals who are going to India to work?
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_960908,0015002200000000.htm
09:01 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Fleet / Bank of America beginning mass layoffs in NE
When the BofA and Fleet proposed the merger, they had to go before the Board of Bank Association in Massachusetts (per MA law). Someone thought to ask how this merger would affect current Fleet employees. Here part of the Board's decision after they received written and oral testimony from BofA:
"The Petitioner has addressed the issue of job creation plans in submitted documents and oral testimony. It again stresses that the lack of overlap in banking offices in Massachusetts distinguishes it from other recent large transactions which have come before the Board. For that reason it states that all "customer facing positions", which is a significant number, will be retained. Bank of America acknowledges that there will be some reduction in the workforce in the short term from redundancy of other operations."
However, now BofA is laying off full-time tellers, saying that their business model only works with part-timers. It also saves them a bundle in pay and benefits....and rest assured that cost will be passed on to the state as former full-time workers suddenly become eligible for public assistance, and as those former workers do not pay as much in taxes.
For those of you experiencing these layoffs, or for anyone who still holds a Fleet account, you should know that the tech work for BofA has long since gone to India. That means your personal information is being handled on the other side of the world, in a country with no privacy laws.
You also should know that a programmer, named Kevin Flanagan, was forced to train his foreign replacement to receive severance pay from BofA. On the day that they finally laid him off, he walked to his car, sat down, and shot himself.
No one should bank at Fleet/BofA. Their ads are all BS. Everyone in Boston should look at how they are treating former Fleet employees and recognize how evil they are.
Change banks!
05:20 am
posted by gmminks
link
Wednesday August 18, 2004
Offshoring bonanza on the cards
Western firms and independent information technology (IT) vendors are for the most part marking time, waiting for the US elections to be over. The jobs travelling to India are mainly resulting from the need to take care of growth and attrition.
We keep hearing that over and over....that companies are just waiting for the elections to be over and then they are going to start offshoring like never before.
Do not stop talking to the people that represent you! Let them know that this issue must be resolved.
08:24 pm
Wednesday August 18, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
More info about Samina-SCI
This guy's dad works at the plant that is closing and going to China.
He links to this ABC news story that quotes U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue as saying "people affected by offshoring should "stop whining.""
08:09 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Representative Frank Smizik on Outsourcing
A reader passed on Representative Frank Smizik's response about outsourcing state jobs in Massachusetts:
Thank you for your message concerning the outsourcing of jobs from
Massachusetts. Unfortunately, outsourcing is a difficulty being faced
by the entire nation. While many people see news reports on large
corporations moving operations to other countries, they forget that many
smaller local businesses are beginning to do the same. I believe that
we have a responsibility to protect the jobs of the citizens of the
Commonwealth from becoming the byproduct of price wars.
The Massachusetts legislature fails in its job to improve constituent's
lives when it becomes complicit in moving its own citizen's jobs out of
the country. Although I support improving the global economy, I know
that sending American jobs in the form of low-cost alternatives is not
the way to improve our nation's economy. Rest assured that I will
oppose Governor Romney's veto of legislation that limits and prohibits
outsourcing. I intend to continue to fight global poverty, but not at
the cost of increasing domestic inequality.
Again, thank you for your message. If you have any further questions or
concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best Wishes,
Frank Smizik
State Representative, District 15 Norfolk
Rep. Smizik is on the the Personnel and Administration Committee as well as the Committee on Homeland Security and Federal Affairs.
I am waiting on a letter from Representative Parente, I'll post it as soon as I get it.
Keep the pressure up on your local representatives and senators!
08:02 pm
posted by gmminks
link
H1B Portability Rule
Even though we are in a recession still, even though the rate of IT unemployment remains at an all-time high, and even though the rule is supposed to be that if an H1B visa holder loses the job that brought them here they have to go home (at the company's expense)......Leading immigration attorney Carl Shusterman explains on About.com how the H1B portability rule works.
Here are some tidbits of the chat:
- The general guidelines for each H-1B portability are as follows:
- You must have been lawfully admitted to the United States,
- The new H-1B employer must file a petition with the INS on your behalf, before your period of stay expires; and,
- after your lawful admission to the United States, you must not have been employed without authorization.
If you meet all three of these criteria, you may start working for the new employer as soon as your new H-1B is filed with the INS. There is no minimum or maximum waiting time. You may start working for the petitioning employer immediately.
- Section 105 of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act is the section of the law which creates H-1B portability.
(now aint that a bitch!)
- Once you are in H-1B status, a petition to change H-1B employers is not subject to the cap. These days, given the state of the economy, it is highly unlikely that the H-1B cap will be reached anyway.
Why increase the cap? Just shuffle the "temporary" immigrants, who are in our country and do not have the same rights as citizens, around from job to job. They won't complain about being underpaid and overworked. They cannot unionize or vote. They have no rights.
Why use the labor pool of legitimate citizens in the US when you have access to a labor pool that cannot demand fair and equal treatment?
05:50 am
posted by gmminks
link
Debugging Indian Computer Programmers
Debugging Indian Computer Programmers is a new book aimed at us, the American techies who have to work with foreigners while our friends are out on the dole.
From a Times of India interview with the author:
"You have called many American programmers lazy, over presenters... Are you not afraid of a backlash from your colleagues?
I also praise them as innovators and more focused than Indians and the Chinese. Let them fully read my book before shooting me. My colleagues are a great bunch of dudes who've already reviewed my book. "
Then he says we are all a bunch of "great dudes". Umm no I am not a dude. Nor lazy.
Although he says the book is for American techies, most of the reviews on Amazon are from NRIs
05:38 am
posted by gmminks
link
No Health Insurance? Meeting in Boston 8/28
There will be a public hearing on Tuesday, August 24th, 10:00 am, at the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, 2 Boylston St., Boston.
Division of Health Care Finance and Policy has proposed new regulations for the Free Care Pool.
Those people who cannot make it to the hearing are encouraged to submit written comments. Written comments can be sent to: Division of Health Care Finance and Policy 2 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116
Info about the Free Care Pool here (from DHCFP)
Some background info here(it's in editorial form...read with care).
05:21 am
posted by gmminks
link
Tuesday August 17, 2004
New Search Term ["GDM"]
Forester saysGDM = Global Delivery Model.
What is it?
Again, according to Forrester, GDM ..
"Integrating rich domain expertise, broad technical skills and project management discipline across a network of low-cost locations through consistent and robust processes, tools and infrastructure to maximise the timely delivery of superior IT and BPO solutions."
05:00 am
Tuesday August 17, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Saturday August 14, 2004
Sanmina-SCI plant closes in Wilmington
Samina-SCI is a California-based company that makes electronic components.
It is closing its Wilmington plant Sept. 20. 490 people will lose their jobs. In 2002, the company closed its Derry, N.H., plant, putting 450 people out of work.
Many of the workers in the factory are recent immigrants. The workers confirm that the plant is moving operations to China:
"They told us they're not making money," Cunha said. "They're going to China. What they said is, over here, the labor costs too much."
One odd fact about Samina that will have my grandfather turning in his grave is that the company was was recently awarded a contract from Boeing to develop the Longbow Apache Manned/Unmanned Common Architecture Program (MCAP) Aircraft Interface Unit (AIU).
Will those parts be built in China?
What is our governor doing about this? What does Kerry have to say about it?
06:30 am
Saturday August 14, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Friday August 13, 2004
Indian Techies don't want their Taxes Raised
(and they sound a little irritable too.)
There's a Talk Back forum set up on the Tax Increase on Indian IT Pros suggested by Azim Premji, CEO of Wipro.
However, Premji does not want an increase in taxes on IT products and services.
IT czar Azim Premji has suggested to the Karnataka government to raise professional tax levied on employees in the sector and review the move to hike the tax on IT products and services.
He just wants the workers to bear the tax burden.
It's not a very popular idea, and they sound a bit frustrated with CEO salaries.
Here's a few highlights.
"Taxing just a section of people in the name of infrastructure improvement is nothing less than corruption, taxing should be uniform depending on the income a citizen earns and not what profession he is in. Term it 'professional discrimination'".
"Mr.Premiji earns billions and he does not want to pay taxes for that. Moreover he wants the taxes reduced for IT Products. IT professionals are earning handsome salaries but for how long. Are all the IT jobs guranteed? How long is this boom going to last? They earn salary and save for the rainy day. No one expects such comments from a person like Premiji, The IT Czar. If he wants the taxes to be reduced for IT products then let him beg for it but he has no right to suggest whom to be taxed and whom not???"
"IT organizations and the business barons who are making millions through IT should be taxed heavily. Not the IT professionals who earn a tiny fraction of that by working morning 9 to evening 10 throughout the year."
"Well does this include Mr.Premji too.. wait !!! he is not an IT PRO he is a IT businessman.. Handsome Salaries.. is what the IT PROS earn.. by toiling for more than 50 hrs a week to fullfill the greed of the over ambitious project managers for all those projects which make the business man.. what they are.. by the way who uses the IT Products.. not the common man.. it is the corporates who makes the top dollars who use them."
"I agree. But a amendment...WHY NOT TO HAVE MORE TAX ON IT CEO's ??? CEO's earn in billions and they feel the employees are paid high? that shows the nature of our Indan management..It's same with all not just premji..."
"It is a stupid statement to be heard from Azim Premji.The top bosses earn hefty pay packets and earn crores and crib about any taxes that's levied on them."
And My Favorite...
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
Update:
I wanted to add this post from "it_slave" because it shows some frustration with the long hours that workers in India have to endure while they do work for US companies.
"Professional Tax can be doubled in Karnataka, and it should be across the board (for everybody) rather than targetting only IT professionals. But that doesn't mean that the blood-sucking captitalists (so called IT Czars!) in Bangalore should be spared Sales Tax on their IT companies. It's time media also talks about how these IT CZars force their employees to work 12-16 hours a day(night)!"
10:16 pm
Friday August 13, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Thursday August 12, 2004
IBM Says It Plans to Hire Nearly 6,000 in the U.S.
This article says IBM is going to hire 6000 workers in the US.
That's great-- But how many American tech workers will fill those jobs? How many will go to H-1B's?
Update:
IBM Plans to hire 18,800 people in total for 2004 --
"But only a third of those workers would be hired in the US, with almost half in Asia -- showing the shift of IBM and other tech companies' workforces to low cost centers around the world"
"I don't think you can draw any particular conclusions from today's news," said Porter Bibb, managing partner at Mediatech Capital Partners, a merchant banker. He said there are many highly qualified technical people in the US who are still unemployed. "A lot of it is offshoring."
11:11 pm
Thursday August 12, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Time to look at US jobs advertised in India
All of these are found on the Monster India board:
- Documentum [now owned by EMC] Architect
CEI is currently looking for Documentum Architects for its Pittsburgh Office in USA.
- IN-ND-New Delhi Central-Quality Assurance
Candidate should Hold Valid H1B Visa.Candidate should have 6-7 years of IT experience.
(come on the reference code for this job is H1B Visa-Testing)
- IN-TN-Chennai-SAP ABAP Consultants - U.S.
For one of our On-going Projects in US we are looking for SAP ABAP Consultants to join us ASAP for an On-site Assignment in US.
REQUIREMENT
• Should have atleast 4-5 years of SAP ABAP Experience
• Should have worked on Cross-Applications like EDI, ALE, IDOC.
• Should have extensive exposure to BDC, Dialog, Scripts, Data Migration & reports
• Should have a Valid H1B or Business Visa [ed. note....does Business Visa mean L-1?]
• Should be able to join Within 2 weeks
- UNIX admins...there is NO reason to bring people in on visas for this sort of work!
Our client is on the East of USA. They are Looking for Dynamic Unix Administrators to join them for a 2year H1B Assignment.
Qualification : BE/MCA
Skills : 3yrs to 6 yrs
Minimum of 2 yrs relevant experience in either Solaris/ Linux/ Hpux/ Aix Administration.
Other Skills : Should possess,excellent communication Skills.
Should have a a passport.
Remuneration : $50 K to $ 60k.
update 1: I applied for this job with my real Monster resume. I will let y'all know what happens.
update 2: I got an immediate reply (shockingly enough)...
Subject: For USA
From:letters@route.monster.com
Reply-to:nnachiketa@yahoo.com
Date: 10:05 PM
To:gminks
Dear Friend,
Please send your word formatted cv.
Best Regards
Nagendra Nachiketa
Sr Manager Operations
PV Shastri Associates
25597097,25587752,25092202 extn 21
stay tuned.....
08:55 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Wednesday August 11, 2004
Premji wants to raise taxes on IT pros
Sounds just like home. You can't escape the tax man.
Azim Premji of Wipro was quoted as saying that the Indian government could raise the professional tax levied on employees of the sector to mobilise more resources. He felt that the IT professionals could be taxed more as they draw "handsome salaries"
The Indian government holds the view that "those who can afford to pay the tax, should pay".
The article is here
11:09 pm
Wednesday August 11, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
Vanguard Investments (An Onshore Alternative)
I spoke with Vanguard Investments today.
One of the best things about this company is they also do not offshore or outsource. They are listed on Onshore Alternatives and I checked the LCA database for their three locations in AZ, NC, and PA. Nothing came up.
The gentleman I spoke with was very helpful-- He spent about 30 minutes on the phone with me talking about the retirement funds I have, and how to compare them with Vanguard Funds. He showed me where all the tools were on their web site and how to use them. They are geared towards the personal investor who wants to manage their accounts themselves and they handle Institutional Investors too.
I told him how I found them via Onshore Alternatives and why I had an issue with offshoring. We talked about having personal information overseas and how I didn't like that. (He was aware of that issue) I also told him I wasn't happy with companies that export jobs because it hurts the economy and displaces workers and we left it at that.
I had him go to Onshore Alternatives and showed him where his listing was. He seemed happy about that and he's going to tell his management. I told him being listed on OA was a good thing for Vanguard. He said that one of the good things about Vanguard is that it values its investors as well as its employees and also remarked that that was a rare thing today -- That a company values its employees.
My first impression is that Vanguard is a good company.
My next step is to compare their funds against my existing funds. I'll post an update on what I find when comparing the funds.
Vanguard's site can be found here.
11:52 am
posted by rickrob
link
Monday August 9, 2004
If you are a Kerry fan...
You may like this button:
09:58 pm
Monday August 9, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
ACK! Harris Miller after federal IT workers
Having well-trained IT employees is almost inseparable from recruitment and retention concerns, according to industry experts. Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America, which represents more than 500 technology companies [blah blah blah], said competitive salaries and the type of work available are critical to maintaining trained staff. "Unless there are some fundamental changes in retention and recruitment, you'll see more and more outsourced work," he said.
Alot of displacedtechies took lower paying jobs in education and government. I would suggest that the techies currently in government IT jobs are very well trained. Maybe the problem is lobbyists trying to get their sticky fingers in the government IT funding pie.
update:
Looking into ITAA's position on federal outsourcing is freaking me out.
Back in 2001, that lying rat bastard Harris Miller crowed to leaders:
"“In the private sector, the overwhelming trend is to outsource information technology functions,” Miller told the panel. “According to Digital Planet, a study of world spending on information and communication technology produced by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) and IDC. Between 1992 and 1999, global spending for external IT services increased 89 percent.”
Miller continued, “Outsourcing allows private sector firms to obtain enhanced service and "end-to-end" solutions offered by companies operating in a very competitive marketplace. In contrast, federal agencies are often prevented from taking advantage of state-of-the-art IT solutions even in non-core areas because they are constrained to use the public-private competition process. In these cases, the taxpayers footing the bill and receiving the services lose.”
09:44 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Letter to Kerry's campaign
A reader sent me a copy of a letter that he and other voters in Ohio have sent to the Kerry campaign.
It's pretty good...I posted it here
09:31 pm
posted by gmminks
link
ITPAA's follow-up to Indian Press charges
You may remember that this past weekend we reported that the Indian press were trying to tie ITPAA and other American organizations fighting for a level playing field for American workers to the death of an Indian worker in Seattle.
Well, ITPAA has issued a response:
Our (nonviolent and legal) focus has always been and remains today on the Ameicans who hire them or their companies to perform services in place of American workers. Note that the term American Worker applies to the native born or naturalized, and the ITPAA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, gender preference, or any other term used to categorize and divide Americans.
We are disappointed in the article in Silicon India and will respond in kind to the slanderous insinuation.
08:55 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Sunday August 8, 2004
Jobs discussion on /.
via slashdot....
160,000 IT jobs have disappeared in the past three years, while the IT unemployment rate has nearly doubled since 2000.
and
The number of U.S. workers employed in four IT-related occupations has dropped between the first and second quarters of 2004, according to numbers culled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Wonder what would happen if we compared these numbers to the job boom in India.
And before someone in the Indian press freaks out and starts calling me xenophobic, look at what the jobs in India are doing. Many of them are supporting businesses in the US, the UK and Australia. If all those jobs were being created to support the Indian economy, that would be cool. Because those support jobs for Western businesses would still be in the countries in which the information originates.
I mean come on, food stamp recipients call India when they need help with their accounts. That ain't right!
01:25 pm
Sunday August 8, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Saturday August 7, 2004
Fishing with an Indian Outsourcing Rep.
We received a phone call last Thursday from 'Rick' who claimed to be from a software firm in New Delhi. He wanted to "talk to the CEO about outsourcing some of our development work to India". So, I was given the call-- I put my CEO hat on and we talked for a while.
He specifically said they did data collection software (which is what my company does). I figure he must have found us from our web site.
I asked, "How do you do this work?" He said they did everything via the Internet, and that they signed non-disclosures with their clients.
(A non-discolsure is nice, but when we do work for a client it is considered a "Work for hire", and they own the code. They can copyright the work if they wish. Who owns the code if the work is done overseas? Do our copyright laws apply? Probably not.)
"Any people in the US?" "No. Only here in India".
He told me I could hire a programmer for a monthly rate of $1900, and I could also hire the same programmer for an hourly rate of $12. They also did fixed price jobs.
I asked what languages they wrote in and he said they could code for Pocket PC, .net, C++, Linux, and Mac (Mac? -- Doesn't exist in the data collection world) . I told him that was what we do and I have developers here (me) that do the same thing, which makes us competitors. He said " Well, you could maximize your profits by outsourcing some of the jobs to us too."
(Yeah, and I suppose I could get rid of that pesky extra programmer too...)
"Who else have you done projects for?" "We have worked with many companies and we have worked with large companies like GE and Chevron Texaco".
We talked about the kinds of hardware he had worked with and I told him we worked with Symbol Tech and Intermec equipment. He said they worked with Pocket PC , but didn't seem to be too familiar with the two biggest vendors of data collection equipment. I could hear him repeating their names as he was writing them down. "Hmmm... Symbol... Intermec..."
I asked him how people reacted to his cold-calling, since outsourcing was a pretty controversial issue here, and he said some people just hung up, some said they were not interested, and some people talked to him-- It depended on the person's mood. I said "You're working pretty late, huh? What time is it? He said it was 2:00AM, and that was what time he started work.
Well anyway, he was polite and hoped we could do business in the future. I said it was all interesting and asked him to send me some more info in case I "had a project for him in the future" (which is extremely unlikely) I even gave him my e-mail address twice. I haven't received anything yet. I don't think I will.
I think we were both fishing. Well, I know I was.
How much of that $12 per hour do you think the programmer gets? How are U.S. workers supposed to compete with that?
10:58 pm
Saturday August 7, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
The Indian press has a hidden agenda
This article was printed at Silicon India. It's a sad story-- An Indian man comes to the US for training at Microsoft and ends up dead.
However--That article really makes me mad. I think it implies that this person may have been killed by "xenophobic" Americans, and I don't like where the writer tries to tie the ITPAA ("and other such organisations") into it as well.
Why is it that now, anyone who is against outsourcing / insourcing / offshoring or whatever-sourcing you want to call it can be tagged as "xenophobic"?
What is the author of that article trying to say? That organizations like the ITPAA are xenophobic because they attempt to stop job losses to offshoring? I don't think so.
The way that article is written in the last paragraph leaves it wide open to different interpetatations-- but I think it is trying to imply that the man's death was motivated by outsourcing / offshoring.
The author says "The death of Partho Sarthi Ghosh comes in the wake of reports of American professionals targeting Indians". What reports? From where? What do you mean by "targeting Indians" ? I haven't heard of anything like this. If anyone knows of such a report please let me know.
The article clearly says the cause of this man's death is not known, yet Silicon India allowed the article to print with it's bogus implications at the end.
It turns outs that there was no foul play involved in the man's death.
I think that article falls under the 'Irresponsible journalism' category. It's also the type of negative article that is intended to create an 'Us against Them' scenario.
I'm sorry that the man is dead, but it's just mean-spirited and cruel for the Indian press to tie his death to a hidden agenda to make Americans and organizations that don't like outsourcing look bad.
Articles like that one only make things worse, and the author should be ashamed. That poor guy died, and Silicon India uses his death to try to make other people look bad.
07:49 pm
posted by rickrob
link
Getting my facts straight
Someone wrote me an email and explained how the Free Trade Agreements work.
You may recall that this issue came up before, in the context of trade
agreements with Singapore and Chile. In both agreements, the U.S.
committed to setting aside a number of H-1B visas for citizens of both
countries. These visas counted against the H-1B cap and so were not new
visas. Nonetheless, Congress still went nuts. A resolution was quickly
passed, overwhelmingly with support from both parties, telling the
President to keep non-trade issues out of trade agreements. In
conversations with leading Republican leaders, the US Trade Representative
agreed not to do this again.
It looks like India is going to ask the U.S. to liberalize its visa
program. Asking isn't the same thing as getting, and I wonder how much
traction this will get. In an election year, my guess is not much. I do
think it would be useful for citizens to alert their elected officials to
the possibility, and to express their concerns. On the other hand, the WTO
talks are in serious trouble because of agricultural issues. The odds of
getting any agreement is slim, so don't get too worried about India's
proposal.
Finally, Congress does have a vote on all trade agreements, including any
with India. Congress cannot amend trade agreements, nor their enabling
legislation. This is what Fast-Track authority does. It gives the
president the authority to negotiate trade agreements that he can then
submit to Congress for approval. Congress then must vote on the agreements
as a package, without any changes. But Congress can still vote "no."
Trade agreements are treaties, and the Constitution places the right to
approve treaties in the Senate. Since trade treaties also involve changes
to U.S. tax law, the House of Representatives also gets to vote. But the
President cannot usurp their right to vote down any agreement they wish.
06:02 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Is the press in India racist?
There is a horrible story about guy who came to Washington State from India to do training for Microsoft and died.
It has been determined that the poor kid died of natural causes, but I am very concerned about the racist bent of acticles coming from India. They are trying to say that sites like ours [people that want the playing field to be leveled so that Americans can work in their own country] are xenophobic.
When reporting on Partho Sarthi Ghosh's death, several news outlets in India finished with this quote:
"Partho's death comes in the wake of reports of xenophobic American professionals targeting Indians. The Information Technology Professionals Association of America and other such organisations have launched campaigns against American firms hiring Indians"
And the Economic Times added this line to the story about the man's death being attributed to natural causes:
" On the possibility of harm to Ghosh by those Americans who have been vocal against Indian professionals, Sood said, "I have no personal doubt about the safety of our people."
The fact that these statements went to press is absolutely disgusting. A man died for goodness sake.
On this site, and on ITPAA, we have always said that we have nothing against anyone here working. We have a huge problem with a system that wants all the breaks of doing business in the US, but does not want to hire Americans because Americans cost too much.
To insinuate anything else is shameful, and makes these "news" outlets seem appear quite racist. It makes the press in India seem like they may be unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples. i.e. xenophobic.
05:57 pm
posted by gmminks
link
Friday August 6, 2004
Trade talks eliminate need for H1b visas
India is going to present a free trade agreement to the US that will eliminate the need for H1B visas for professionals wanting to work in the US.
India will ask for relaxed visa restrictions on professional workers, and in exchange they will offer US businesses more freedom to invest in sensitive sectors like telecom and insurance.
This is all thanks to a new WTO agreement. It seems to me that these agreements erode our nation's soveriegnty.
Highlights from the [Indian] press:
Economic Times:
" On the ground, this could mean professionals from the developing world will get to take advantage of job opportunities in a wider range of services. It also implies that rules pertaining to transnational movements will be relaxed. Further, visa regimes could become less discretionary and more norm-oriented."
Times of India
"Much would depend on the outcome of negotiations, but it is obvious that Indias interest would be in prying open the US market for a range of services where Indian professionals can freely move into that market to provide services."
Business Standard
"If the proposal goes through, the existing quantitative curbs on the movement of Indian engineers, software programmers, scientists, accountants and other professionals to the US will be removed.
Similarly, the Indian government has to completely relax the restrictions on the opening of branches of US banks and insurance companies in the country."
Hindustan Times
"A free trade agreement (FTA) on services between India and the US could be on the cards, a move which can give a big leap to the country's IT industry.
While the FTA is expected to benefit the country's software and BPO segment, India may have to give in to pending US demand of opening up its retail, legal, accounting, and banking services sectors."
That last article suggest that the reason a Free Trade Agreement is being considered is that the WTO takes too long to do things. That is scary, as George Bush has the authority to sign these agreements without going through Congress. This means he gets to decide, all on his own, what to do about these visa proposals.
yikes.
05:38 am
Friday August 6, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Thursday August 5, 2004
Update on the 2005 Budget - Outsourcing Amendment
Received this update from Lew Finfer at the Organizing and Leadership Training Center
What happened with the veto override vote in the Housing on the bill to ban state contracts to firms that outsource the work
The bad news is that the House did not take up the outsourcing bill for an override vote. This means that House Speaker Finneran probably was against it and needed to hear from more legislators on this bill's importance to people(and he'd only hear from more legislators if we could organize more calls and letters than we were able to do recently.)
The good news is that this bill got much father than most bills do in their first year. It did pass both branches of the Legislature which gives it momentum for next year's legislative session. Also, there's growing discussion about outsourcing as a problem that government needs to deal with.
What can you do next?
1. We can call and write legislators and ask them to attach this amendment to ban state contractors from outsourcing work abroad to any Supplemental Budget that might be passed this year. The Legislature often has to pass smaller Supplemental Budgets after the main budget has passed. Because there's a budget surplus, they will have to decide what amount to put into a Reserve Fund and what to spend on either programs likes ones that have been cut due to budget cuts over the years or tax cuts.
2. We can refile this legislation in December for the 2005 legislative session. It's helpful to have many state representatives and state senators as co-sponsors of the bill. You could call or write your own state representative and state senator to ask them if they would co-sponsor this bill for the 2005 session.
Senator Jack Hart who sponsored the budget amendment on this during this year is willing to file this as legislation for next year.
The text of the bill that was proposed by Senator Jack Hart (D-Boston) this year is included below in case you want to use that when they ask about what specific kind of bill.
SECTION 21. The first paragraph of section 54 of said chapter 7, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is herby amended by inserting after paragraph (1) the following paragraph:--
(1A) The agency shall prepare a written statement that the services proposed to be the subject of the privatization contract shall not be provided by labor based or employed outside the United States. No agency shall make a privatization contract and no such contract shall be valid if the services provided are from labor based or employed outside the United States.
3. You might want to write a letter to House Speaker Finneran about your experience with outsourcing, and why you feel it's a bad idea and should be restricted at least when companies are getting state tax dollars to do this work. You can say that you hope he will consider supporting this kind of legislation in the future that would lead to state monies going to create jobs here and not abroad.
07:44 am
Thursday August 5, 2004
posted by rickrob
link
NYC teachers awarded H1B visas
85 H1B visas were awarded to teachers in NYC who have been here teaching on J1 visas.
That means 85 jobs have been held by foreigners for 3 years and were not available to US teachers. That means 85 jobs will not be available to US teachers for probably at least six more years.
05:25 am
posted by gmminks
link
Wednesday August 4, 2004
Outsourcing and the 2005 MA budget
So let's bring everyone up to date on what's happening with the outsourcing clause in the 2005 budget:
- A Senator [Jack Hart] introduced language into the 2005 budget that
prohibits contracts paid for with state [taxpayer] money from being moved offshore.
- In spite of saying he wants to fight outsourcing, Romney vetoed the measure.
- The Speaker of the House did not bring the veto up for an over-ride.
The last chance for this measure to get passed is if it is included in the supplemental budget. So, once again, everyone needs to contact their elected officials, this time your Senators.
This time, there is documentation you can send to your Senators:
- Washtech's report
The report outlines 4 examples of MA state contracts that are sending work onshore. Be sure to tell your Senator that food stamp recipients talk to people in India if they need help with their account, my Senator was suprised when I told him.
- New Jersey Policy Perspective's new study
The report focuses on NJ, but has good facts.
It is urgent that you contact your Senator this week. Our elected officials need to know that this issue is important to our state.
Here is a list of Senators by town:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm
09:06 pm
Wednesday August 4, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Total Number of US IT pros down
According to an article in Information Week, even though the "total number of IT pros is down, the future is looking better for the highly skilled".
Look at that picture, and ask yourself if we already digitized everything, or are we using computers to move more types of information now. Why in the world would we need less IT workers now?
The article says IT employment is around 5.5% -6%. The article also says:
"The number of programmers, analysts, and support specialists has fallen 15% since the first six months of 2000, while the ranks of managers and administrators grew 56%, according to InformationWeek's analysis of the bureau's numbers."
05:28 am
posted by gmminks
link
Tuesday August 3, 2004
Did the Monster chief get his numbers from NASSCOM?
Jeffry Taylor, Monster's founder, was in India for a love fest and said that there is a labor shortage in America and that the US will have to grant H1B visas like never before.
Did they get the numbers from NASSCOM?
This quote from the Economic Times:
" The website's statistics are similar to what the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) has said in its strategic review for 2004. "
I can't afford NASSCOM's strategic review.
But I have to wonder if NASSCOM's "study" is a response to other published reports warning that India is going to run out of IT jobs by 2008
04:50 am
Tuesday August 3, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
Low wages cost everyone
Inadequate wages and benefits force workers at Wal-Mart stores in California to seek $86 million a year in state aid
If you have a job, and you are working, but you still have to get food stamps to survive, is that a good thing?
04:34 am
posted by gmminks
link
Monday August 2, 2004
Is this why people want to come to the US
A software engineer in India was kept in a kennel and made to abort her baby for not paying more in dowry to her husband and his mom.
The husband had just returned from the US...he was on an H1B visa.
This story is so horrible it's unreal.
04:04 pm
Monday August 2, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
one of Monster's execs is all for insourcing/outsourcing
According to ciol.com, Monster's founder and chief Jeff Taylor predicted tremendous employment opportunities for Indian IT in the coming years."
""Right now, there are half-a million Indian IT professionals working on US projects. I expect the number to touch three to four million by 2008," he said. He predicts that by 2010, the US would issue H1B visas to a massive number of Indians to stem its yawning labor shortfall."
So the nation's biggest job board doesn't see that American's cannot get jobs.
Makes me want to throw my hands up in the air and run down the road screaming.
06:06 am
posted by gmminks
link
What immigration means to India
The United States is India's largest export market for manpower and the country's remittance income from the US stood at a whopping 4.5 billion US dollars last year, says a study.
06:00 am
posted by gmminks
link
Harris Miller is just plain evil
He is trying to discredit the computer scientists that are warning that electronic voting machines are not reliable, and that there should at least be a paper trail.
According to this article on alternet.org, Miller said the following about the highly trained specialists who have concerns about the equipment used by people to excercise our most precious privilege in this country:
"Miller compared listening to e-voting critics – whom he characterized as open-source proponents, ignoring the concerns of such broad-based groups as the League of Women Voters – to "asking a bunch of clergymen what they think of premarital sex."
So, Miller says we should not listen to the mostly highly trained engineers on our nation. Man he really hates open source, I wonder why? Maybe this is why he is all about bringing in cheap labor who really do not have the same skill level as the American workers they replace....he doesn't like his computer engineers to be too smart...it's bad for business
05:49 am
posted by gmminks
link
NYC teacher drama continues
Hardbeatnews.com reports the teachers do not fall under the protection of the "cap gap"....they can reapply for next year's quota of visas since they were on J2 visas.
05:43 am
posted by gmminks
link
Sunday August 1, 2004
Right people not available in India
According to The Economic Times of Indiatimes
"It’s hardly surprising that the BPO industry is the most challenged by a crunch for the right people. Eyeing the huge English-speaking pool of grads was a great idea to start with....
But a few years along, the need for specialised training is being felt. In fact, other services industries, like hospitality and travel, which have traditionally nurtured education and training facilities, are often providing the soft skills that call centre agents need to start with.
So, the jobs are moving from a country with trained, specialized labor to a country that needs to come up to speed in that area.
Nice.
09:41 am
Sunday August 1, 2004
posted by gmminks
link
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