Bernie Sanders: 'This is a massive effort to attract cheap labor.’

[markiv]

This is a massive effort to attract cheap labor.’ Why Sen. Bernie Sanders is skeptical of guest workers.

My concerns are in regards to where we stand in terms of guest workers programs, made worse by amendments offered by Senator Hatch. What I do not support is, under the guise of immigrant reform, a process pushed by large corporations which results in more unemployment and lower wages for American workers.

As you well know, we remain in the midst of a severe recession. Real unemployment, once you consider people who’ve given up looking for work, is close to 14 percent, and in some parts of the country is even higher. For minorities it’s very high, and we’ve got to address that. You have massively high unemployment for young people, yet we’re talking about expanding visas so that young people from abroad can serve as life guards, become ski instructors, become front desk people, when young people in this country desperately need jobs to pay for a college education.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/25/this-is-a-massive-effort-to-attract-cheap-labor-why-sen-bernie-sanders-is-skeptical-of-guest-workers/

[Newest Reality]

1. Go Bernie, Go!

That man is a beacon of sensible poilitics and his example stands as an example in stark, (and hopefully uncomfortable) contrast to those politicians who simply pretend to represent the people, but have ulterior motives and special interests to serve.

[markiv]

2. he has an uncanny ability to speak plain English,

common sense, and live as though it were his job to represent the people

i ju$t wonder why it'$ $o hard, for other$ to do the $ame

[Zorra]

3. +1

[ctsnowman]

19. Exactly!

[liberalmike27]

6. Mostly Absent From the Democratic Party

Are discussions about how awful neo-liberal, Free trade has been for America. H-1B visas are just in-sourcing of jobs, with the same purpose, driving down labor costs. They can sell it any way they want, but they are firing, or not hiring qualified Americans, and importing Indians and Chinese to name two, to do those jobs for sometimes less than half the cost.

By the way, if you've not noticed this is something our corporate left and corporate right media, on which, Democrats and Republicans agree.

Isn't it horrible now, that the worst policies we seem to have, are those on which both parties agree? War without end, murdering terrorists and innocents around them with drones, using our legal system to make money off of poverty through privatized prisons, to name a few.

[markiv]

8. this stuff if being passed under the public's noses, while both parties 'bicker' about the 'scandals

it's professional wrestling

the game is fixed and it's a fraud

when both parties argue the loudest, it's what they agree on in back rooms that's always the real story

[CrispyQ]

30. The media is in on it.

All our major institutions are corrupt & compromised.

It's disgusting.

[markiv]

34. the H-1b guest worker visa issue proved it to me long ago

breathtaking how synchronized and absolute it was, congress and media in lock step, meaningful dissent completely silenced

made me far more open to Noam Chomsky

[7962]

61. Don't insult Professional Wrestling!

[dotymed]

10. Screw both corporate parties.

There must be some way to get Bernie to run for POTUS.

He is an Independent, actually a Democratic Socialist. He continues, after all of his years of public service, to
fight hard for average Americans and the glaring inequality in our country. I will say it again;
He is the FDR of our era. We must get him to run for POTUS, but how?

IMO, with Bernie in the Whitehouse, America would enjoy a level of equality and prosperity not seen since FDR. I mean economic equality. When FDR was President, racism was already institutionalized and I know that FDR made some bad decisions. His good outweighed his bad exponentially.

Please Bernie, if you read this, at least give us the opportunity to get you elected as POTUS. I believe we can do this without you having to sell-out to either Major party. You could start "The Common Sense Party" if you want.

[xtraxritical]

18. I soooooooooooooo agree, I'm soooooooooooo a Democratic Socialist too.

[dotymed]

25. It makes sense

and is fair...what a concept.

No wonder "our propaganda" is against it.

[libdude]

49. So am I which

makes be curious as to how many DU's are really Socialists or Democratic Socialists.
Sen. Sanders' positions on many issues caused me to really look at my positions on the same issues and realize that I really held to views that were more in line with Socialism. Not knowing that much about the topic caused me to do some in depth research and well, here I am, a Democratic Socialist.
I would most definately vote for a Presidential ticket with Sen. Sanders on it.

[dreamnightwind]

43. I would love it if...

he would run on the Democratic ticket. He'd have to win the primary, but then he wouldn't risk being a spoiler for a Republican as a 3rd party candidate. Also we really, really need to reclaim the Democratic Party from the corporatists, and a Bernie candidacy could be the ticket to drive that.

Why not a Democratic Socialist "party" that exists as a subgroup of the Democratic Party? I'd be all for it.

[sabbat hunter]

51. he will be 75

in 2016... Probably too old to run for president.

[Populist_Prole]

12. It's awful isn't it?

This stands out:

"By the way, if you've not noticed this is something our corporate left and corporate right media, on which, Democrats and Republicans agree"

That is a very bad sign. One that means that other than a few social issue crumbs ( small potatoes IMO ) us hoi-polloi are going to be sold down the river......again.

[markiv]

24. hot button social issues, are things

that the powers that be couldnt care less about, and use them as cover and wedge issues to divide those that would otherwise be united

doesnt mean these social issues arent important to some people, left and right, it just means they are used to totally BUST the middle and working classes, classes that contain members who are liberal and conservative on social issues

the powers that be care about money and power, PERIOD. that's how they got to be the powers that be in the first place. they couldnt care less about gay issues one way or the other, they couldnt care less about flag burning either, they have no flag, they only care that flags are made by the cheapest labor for the maximum profit

[CrispyQ]

33. "they have no flag, they only care that flags are made by the cheapest labor for the maximum profit"

Truth.

They use the artificial corporate beings to do whatever they want without any responsibility, accountability or repercussions to them, personally. The founding fathers would be rolling in their graves if they knew how powerful the corporations are.

[markiv]

35. they already understood it, in their day

the English joint-stock corporations of George Washington's day werent much differnet than corporations today - they viiewed anything and everything in the land as existing for their maximum profit, regardless of the cost or consequence to anyone else

[ctsnowman]

20. Nailed it.

[donnasgirl]

13. You got it right

This will probably be my last post on the site, I have stated many times that people should back Bernie, Elizabeth, and Alan Grayson, They are the few in government that see beyond politics. The 3 that I mentioned are the best we have right now, and it is my hopes that people wake up and start letting the other do nothings know that their brand of politics will no longer be tolerated.

[Teamster Jeff]

15. Bernie, Elizabeth, and Alan Grayson

Corporate "Democrats" hate these three worse than they hate any Repukes.

[xtraxritical]

22. Are you not aware of Rep. Raul Grijalva and the Progressive Caucus?

You very well should be. Looky Here

[donnasgirl]

31. I am very well aware

Of Rep. Raul Grijalva, as I stated the three individuals that I posted about are but a (FEW) I know there are more but a hell of a lot more are needed to stop the slide of our people from going into what I call slave labor.

[dreamnightwind]

46. Also Cohen

I only recently became aware of Rep. Cohen of Tennessee. He seems to be one of the few on our side.

http://cohen.house.gov/

I completely agree with everything you're saying, though, there are a very few outliers that represent us, the rest of them are loyal to the corporations that write the checks.

[donnasgirl]

50. dreamnightwind

Agreed.

I am a big supporter of Unions, spent 35 years in one and it is now known by many members that they are being sold down the river as well by people who are supposed to stand behind them.
I have had the pleasure to hear Bernie speak and I must say he is very adamant about the workers in this country, in other words he has not forgotten where he came from unlike most of our politicians.

[LovingA2andMI]

39. K/R~~~

And We LOVE Independent Senator Bernie Sanders! This guy rocks!!

[markiv]

4. youtube of him 6 years ago, talking about H-1b visas

[another_liberal]

5. Bring India here . . .

All that criticism of Bain Capital types for shipping our jobs to India must have really gotten to them. To make amends they have decided to stop that practice. Now they'll just bring India here on a guest worker visa.

[markiv]

7. guest worker practice started first

cant have outsourcing without it

[Skittles]

41. not true

lots of companies send Americans to train the people to whom their jobs are pimped

[ProSense]

9. Here's the problem

this was a deal worked out by the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce.

What Immigration Reform Could Mean for American Workers, and Why the AFL-CIO Is Embracing It

<...>

Under the agreement (arrived at last weekend) a limited number of temporary visas would be issued to foreign workers in low-skilled occupations, who could thereafter petition to become American citizens.

<...>

But employers hope the guest-worker program will also prevent low-wage Americans from getting a raise. As soon as any increase in demand might begin to push their wages higher, employers can claim a “labor shortage” — allowing in more guest workers, who will cause wages to drop back down again.

So why would the AFL-CIO agree to any new visas at all?

Presumably because some 11 million undocumented workers are already here, doing much of this work. The only way these undocumented workers can ever become organized – and not undercut attempts to unionize legal workers — is if the undocumented workers also become legal.

Remember, we’re talking about low-wage work that U.S. employers can’t do abroad – fast-food cooks and servers, waiters, hotel cleaners, hospital orderlies, gardeners, custodians, cashiers, and the like. (Construction jobs were exempted from the agreement because the building trades are already well-organized and saw more risk than gain from guest-workers.)


- more -

http://robertreich.org/post/46955871646

AFL-CIO’s Trumka Hails Immigration Pact

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued a statement Saturday touting the proposed new visa program that emerged from a pact between big business and labor on a new immigration bill.

The labor movement has no higher priority in 2013 than to build a workable immigration system that will allow 11 million aspiring Americans to become citizens. Each day we have become more encouraged that our goal is in reach, and quickly. Each day we hear from working people of every background that we need a fair system that lifts up everyone.

The strength of the consensus across America for just reform has afforded us the momentum needed to forge an agreement in principle to develop a new type of employer visa system. We have created a new model, a modern visa system that includes both a bureau to collect and analyze labor market data, as well as significant worker protections. We expect that this new program, which benefits not just business, but everyone, will promote long overdue reforms by raising the bar for existing programs.

But a new visa program is only a small part of our campaign to build a common sense immigration system. Mass deportations are a moral and economic crisis. The senseless thwarting of DREAMers' efforts to live the American dream is a crisis. And we are leading a national campaign for reform that addresses these crises.

From making sure citizenship for the 11 million is achievable not only in theory, but in fact, to maintaining family unity, the labor movement’s immigration campaign is just getting started.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/afl-cios-trumka-hails-immigration-pact

AFL-CIO and Chamber of Commerce reach deal on guest workers
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/01/1198406/-AFL-CIO-and-Chamber-of-Commerce-reach-deal-on-guest-workers

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Gang of Eight Immigration Bill
http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Statement-by-AFL-CIO-President-Richard-Trumka-On-Gang-of-Eight-Immigration-Bill

Highlights from the New Immigration Reform Bill
http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/Highlights-from-the-New-Immigration-Reform-Bill

Background on the negotiations:

Why the 400,000 new ‘low-skilled’ work visas business wants is a ridiculously high number
http://www.epi.org/blog/400000-skilled-work-visas-business-ridiculously/

Recent analyses of the current bill:

Gang of 8 bill could give nearly half of new IT jobs requiring a college degree to guestworkers
http://www.epi.org/publication/gang-of-8-bill-new-it-jobs-college-degree-guestworker-h1-b/

Senate immigration bill’s key innovations for high-skilled workers are in jeopardy
http://www.epi.org/blog/senate-immigration-bills-key-innovations/

[markiv]

11. 'Remember, we’re talking about low-wage work'

so is the huge increase in H-1b visas for low wage work? it's certainly becoming that

Gang of 8 bill could give nearly half of new IT jobs requiring a college degree to guestworkers
http://www.epi.org/publication/gang-of-8-bill-new-it-jobs-college-degree-guestworker-h1-b/


why the heck would we do that in a recession?!?!?!

[Populist_Prole]

14. Even if that were true; it's not right at all

It's exactly as you note, their end goal is to put downward pressure on all wage earners that they can. However, even if they acted in good faith and it really was just "low wage work" that is still wrong wrong wrong. It's like they're "playing god" somehow and high-handedly and arbitrarily placing the working poor in an even worse position to satisfy some socio-economic master plan. They would no doubt have the absolute gall to complain about the poor they've already marginalized being a strain on the safety net. The sheer arrogance!

In any case, "low wage" is just relative. Wages are being made lower through the use of arbitrage.

[markiv]

21. all of this is totally contrary to the supposed principals

of the democratic party as i understood it as a kid

this is no small issue

[msongs]

26. you are assuming the current dems leadership actually has "principals" nt

[markiv]

28. 'the current dems leadership' is like

let's suppose, that instead of dropping pontiac, that GM had just sold it to Ford

and someone who had bought Pontiacs, kept buying Pontiacs after GM sold them, and someone asked this person 'why do you buy pontiacs', and the person answered 'because I like GM and hate the Ford company'

it's the exact same thing - there are those who get it, and those who dont

[abelenkpe]

29. I was once part of a union that embraced

Work visas. Corporations told them they couldn't find enough qualified workers. Thought that was odd at the time given that I knew plenty of experienced qualified workers who were unemployed. Fast forward to today....majority of those jobs are now overseas.

Corporations win again.

[AdHocSolver]

42. Any action that increases the supply of workers relative to demand for workers...

...(the demand for workers being equivalent to the number of jobs available) will lower wages.

A supply of workers greater than demand for workers will also make it much more difficult, if not impossible, to organize the workers who are competing for scarce jobs.

The workers have leverage when the number of jobs available exceeds the number of qualified workers available so that the corporations have to compete for labor by offering higher wages and better benefits.

This is simple economics and any labor leader who overlooks this reality is either ignorant or is trying to fool the rank and file union members so that they do not realize that their union has very little leverage and throw him out of his job.

[markiv]

58. so many in both parties try to obscure this simple Econ101 fact

no different than corn

more corn = higher price per unit

less corn = lower price per unit

BOTH parties have designed farm price support programs since the 1930s, anyone in congress who says they 'dont get it' is lying

Maybe that's why Grassley gets it, and fights H-1b - there's no way he could claim he doesnt get it, coming from a corn growing state

[AdHocSolver]

48. The idea that legalizing immigrant workers will increase wages or help unions is nonsense.

Any action that increases the supply of workers relative to the number of jobs available will reduce wages and curtail the ability of unions to organize the workers.

The workers have leverage when the number of jobs available exceeds the number of qualified workers available so that the corporations have to compete for labor by offering higher wages and better benefits.

Without a tight labor market, the unions have little leverage.

One reason the corporations offshore to countries such as China and India is the huge oversupply of cheap labor in those countries. If it weren't for that oversupply of cheap labor, then the corporations would have to listen to worker demands, and it would be much easier to organize the workers.

This is the benefit of the so-called "global economy" to the corporations. This is why tariffs and import quotas are needed to stem the glut of low paid workers due to a surplus of workers in the U.S. competing against a surplus of workers in China and India and dozens of other countries. The term "trade war" is an imaginary object of fear promoted by the multinational corporations to enable them to maintain an environment in which they can maintain a scarcity of jobs within local labor markets.

[freshwest]

60. The AFL-CIO is dead wrong on this. Low wage workers? Why not raise the wage?

I know people who do similar work in Norway that make a living wage. FPS, when I was growing up, people made a living wage doing all of those things.

No, they weren't being paid high wages, but a wage that supported their families better than these folks are getting now. I'm trying to see the upside and see nothing, I'm disappointed.

I understand unions want to organize those who are here. But they should not support bringing more here for the corporations if they intend to keep them in these 'low wage' jobs. They can have those in their home countries.

What is to become of those that are going to replaced in this race to the bottom? Does the union expect to get more benefits for the unemployed here now, or higher paying jobs for them?

Unions should not take the view that labor is a commodity as yhe corporations and Randians do. If some in the unions feel they are protecting their higher wage jobs, which sadly some have agreed to two-tier employment status, they are not looking to the future.

I know people like this, they don't care about giving future workers a helping hand to get the same things they enjoyed. They are just getting what they can while they can and getting out.

[AzDar]

16. Bernie!

[antigop]

17. Bernie needs to tell this to Hillary "the inevitable"

[markiv]

37. notice she's sitting alone in the dark

how revealing

[JDPriestly]

38. Elizabeth Warren for President in 2016.

H1-B visas exist only to allow big companies to profit from cheap labor. They result in lower wages for Americans. American workers can be educated to do the jobs that American industry needs.

No to H1-B visas.

[SunSeeker]

23. K & R

[awoke_in_2003]

27. Until American workers are taken care of...

we should be granting zero work visas.

[Initech]

32. Hey Bernie: They don't give a fuck!!!

They really don't care who or what they stomp over to make their precious billions. When corporate profits are put above people, it really sets a bad precedent. What we need to do is get rid of Citizens United and get all money out of politics.

[JDPriestly]

36. The guest worker system has not worked well in Europe.

Immigrants should either have full rights and an opportunity for citizenship or be excluded altogether.

[Skittles]

40. but....but.....they are TALENTED!!! WE NEED THEM!!!

[still_one]

44. Thank you Bernie, you can't be bought. You are more of a Democrat then some who call themselves

Democrats

[WillyT]

45. K & R !!!

[Skeeter Barnes]

47. Workers are being sold out by both parties.

The deniers think this war on workers will never affect them but it will reach them eventually. One day, their jobs with good pay and working conditions will be gone, too.

The people that own this country won't stop until we are all in the poor house.

This can't be fixed at the ballot box. Only massive picket lines and civil disobedience will win this fight.

[xtraxritical]

57. ^THAT^

[dkf]

52. What does he think our current lack of enforcement does?

If anything it leads to cheaper wages than guest workers because an illegal immigrant has little recourse if they aren't supposed to be here in the first place.

[sulphurdunn]

53. Once you start to fight

it's not about left or right or right and wrong. It's about win or loose. While people on the street argue over right and wrong, people in boardrooms argue over how to win. They've gone way beyond right and wrong, we should too.

[flamingdem]

54. so right Bernie nt

[hay rick]

55. K&R

[WinkyDink]

56. We could ask Germany about Gastarbeitern, and how that concept turned out.

[markiv]

59. even Fahrvergnügen turned out better

certainly more enjoyment, anyway