Temporary Foreign Workers (click here) Program Trade union leaders, immigration policy experts and economists testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration regarding the impact of the H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program on the labor market. The H-2B visa program permits U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers to perform non-agricultural labor and services. The program is capped at 66,000 workers but Congress passed a provision in 2015 that would potentially increase the number visas issued. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) chairs this subcommittee hearing.
Steven Camarota from Center for Immigration Studies, Reseach Director- H2 Visas didn't require experience and American would be able to fill those jobs. The idea these are jobs Americans don't do is absurd.
Labor shortages have declined over resent years. The Wall Street firms asking for H2 Visas are not necessarily legitimate and more habit rather than maintaining good wages and benefits.
Biggest declines of jobs were among the young. One-third of teenagers did not have jobs. The work ethnic begins at this critical time. Higher wages and benefits for our least educated American workers is necessary and should be pursued before issuing H2 Visas upon request that give these jobs to others.
Michael Cunningham states H2 Visas are issued for something like a Boiler Maker, but, other people are hired like welders.
Jeff Sessions states the GAO has under estimated available workers, ie: 8000 and it is these number that spawn wrongful allowances for H2 Visas. Dr. Steven A. Camarodo. Dr. Camarodo states there are often lower estimates than actually exists. Mr. Daniel Costa states there are returning workers under the Visas but employers don't seek them out. They simply find more new workers at low income wages. Senator Sessions want to address a bill to require returning workers to be included before more H2 Visas are issued. Senator Sessions state there are at least 115,000 H2 Visas are in the USA at any given time. Senator Sessions seems pleased at the committee results.
Jeff Sessions states the program is not slated to end and the funding for H2 Visas is expected to double. It is Wall Street cronyism. The American people are demanding better wages and Wall Street's answer is for their bought and paid for Senators and House will issue greater funding for cheap foreign labor.
Dr. Camarodo states there is no reason for the program at all. The funding could easily be put into other more important programs of the USA. The US Congress with a Republican majority is putting American workers out of jobs to favor their Wall Street cronies with H2 Visas as CORPORATE WELFARE. There is no shortage of workers in the USA. The program is not needed and is actively jeopardizing American workers. The H2 Visas taking jobs away from Americans can be considered 'scabs' that cross union picket lines to provide profits for the company while protesters are seeking better pay rates.
The H2 Visas are a direct threat to American labor, both in jobs and wages and benefits.
It is corruption and rarely discussed in it's content in politics. Those legislators that vote for doubling the funding of H2 Visas are corrupt and pander to their Wall Street bosses.
Michael Cunningham states there are unions with employees at the ready to travel to work anywhere in the USA. Mr. Cunningham states the companies requesting H2B Visas don't want to hire American construction workers. There have been workers that have applied to H2B jobs and were turned away. These people needed jobs and they were directly replaced with foreign labor.
Senator Tillis from North Carolina states there is no such problem in NC. Instead, the state is sponsoring training at Community College levels to achieve training for jobs in the H2B program. WHERE ARE THE STATISTICS in the successful placement of these American that cost the USA monies to train them. I guarantee you the 'interim Americans being trained' never are employed anyway. Tillis calls the retraining "Worker Reform." Nice title. Tillis states if the USA cancels H2B Visas there will be a loss of American jobs. Is that a lie or what, but, if one is listening for his master's voice Tillis will supply it.
I am sure that is true of the employment agencies that provide temporary workers. The H2B Visas are a direct threat to companies such as "Manpower." Temporary agencies. There are agencies that provide untrained labor.
Senator Sessions wants to have Americans working. That is obvious. It is not obvious with Tillis. Senator Sessions stated a company came to the USA needing 4000 employees. (That is probably across three shifts.) and between all the labor departments in the State it was able to provide all Americans to that demand with some degree of short term training. Senator Sessions is a Senator from Alabama.
Next time anyone at FOX News makes a statement about unemployment, remember who is taking jobs away from Americans.
