The most common assumption about the H-1B may finally be hammered into law if Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor designate, has her way.
Rep. Solis (D-Calif.) made the case for EEO--requiring employers to seek local talent before recruiting abroad--during confirmation hearings on January 9th. This was none too soon given that interviews were being conducted in India the very next day for job openings in the US!
"Walk-In Interview, Pune, H1B Visa Sponsorship 2009, January 10th 2009, IGI"
Brightfuturejobs.com, a grassroots lobbying campaign to counteract claims that Americans can't do science and technology, has initiated an email campaign to send messages of support to Rep. Solis for her recognition of the uphill battle that US tech workers have faced for 18 years. Employers may - for the first time - be required to seek local talent for their US job openings, now that real Democrats are in the White House and Congress. Let's make sure this happens.
Rep. Solis stated her views that local candidates need to be recruited and considered for job openings before employers recruit abroad.
When Labor Secretary Solis speaks, Dems need to listen. She is one of the people who knows the secret that the Tech Lobbyists are keeping from you.In answer to the question posed by an advocate of the H-1B employer program, Solis replied:
"I want to look at how certification occurs. I want to look at how the labor pool is identified. Whether it be in the surrounding area where that particular business may be looking and seeking for high tech individuals what extensive availability of information is there so we know, if before we go abroad, we are first prioritizing those workers who are in fact capable and ready to fill these positions.
...the priority in my mind would be fairness. First of all, looking at how we provide fairness for those individuals who are trained and who are here in this country. Put them first. If we are not able to get there, then look at the statistical information and look at what is there. And then come up with ... looking at other frames, designs. But at this point that is where I would begin in exploring that."
Notice that Solis did not reiterate any of the top performance myths that Democrats are so used to hearing and repeating.
If you support reforming the H-1b employer visa program so that citizens and green card holders can compete for job openings in the US, take a minute to send her a note of congratulations.
Stop corporations from using American laws to erect barriers and explicitly discriminate against the US workforce. Contribute to the cause of restoring EEO in the US.