Ustwo,
I have mixed feelings about all this. I have worked in Mexico and here with high tech Mexicans who are very good at their jobs and very hard working. Before I retired and moved I was good friends with several and spent a lot of time with them and their families. I guess one of the reasons I disagree with allowing uncontrolled illegal immigration is observing what happens in the rural area in which I now live. There are a lot of blue collar type jobs here and wages have taken a hit from illegal competition.
A friend of mine in the roofing/painting business claims he is forced to hire illegals because his competitors do and otherwise his bids would be too high. He also claims that the Mexicans he hires do great work and do not hesitate to work long hours and weekends unlike the locals he hires and work for much less money and do not insist on benefits. Unlike locals he hires they are genuinely glad to have a job and will go overboard to keep it.
What are we to do with the local blue collar types when their wages and benefits are reduced this way. Not everyone can be a professional and improve their job outlook. I spent 30 years as an Engineer and I wonder how I would have handled being told that I now have to work for much less with no benefits because of an illegal labor pool. When I was young I worked for a summer or two as a laborer on construction sites and would not wish this back breaking work for anyone but there are people who need this type of work. It seems unfair to allow an illegal immigation policy that makes wages even lower for them and discourages employers from giving any benefits.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by dksuddeth
where were you during the high point of the H1B visa debacle? 
not that THEY were illegal, but the point is basically the same. The government promoting an outside source of cheaper labor for specific industries. |
Back in the 70s and early 80s I worked for some large Engineering/Construction companies who had more work than they could handle designing and building oil refineries and associated facilities. It was like working at the United Nations as there were engineers and designers from all over the world. They generally worked for much less but the wages stayed high because of the lack of skilled workers required for the backlog in contracts. At the peak, one company I worked for had a need for 5000 additional technical workers they could not fill.