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Jun 22, 2007 10:00 pm US/Pacific
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YouTube Video On Foreign Workers Stirs Debate
by Sue Kwon
(CBS 5)
A video posted on YouTube is stirring anger and debate in Silicon Valley. It shows attorneys with Cohen & Grigsby telling their corporate clients how to get around Federal rules around hiring foreign workers.
"Our goal is not to find a qualified U.S. worker," the attorney at the podium said in the video. "That, in a sense, sounds funny but that is what we are trying to do here."
It's no secret foreign workers often come highly skilled with lower salaries. A system administrator who wanted to be identified only as "Dave" defended outsourcing in the technology industry.
"My company has job openings and it's hard to find good people, even junior people not just senior people," he said.
The Programmers Guild is an anti-outsourcing group with 1,500 members says nonsense. The group edited and reposted the law firm's clips on YouTube after the law firm pulled down video of the full session.
"We estimate tens of thousands of Americans lose job opportunities to the tactics shown in that Cohen & Grigsby video," said Kim Berry, President of the Programmers Guild.
Kim says the video has prompted 2 lawmakers to call on Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to investigate unfair practices where companies call for applications with no intent to hire close to home.
The attorney in the video is heard saying. "If necessary, you (companies) have to schedule an interview to find a legal basis to disqualify them (US applicants) for this position. In most cases this doesn't seem to be a problem."
Cohen & Grigsby would not allow CBS5 to view the session in its entirety and issued a statement.
"We regret the choice of words that was used during a small segment of the seminar," the statement said. "It is unfortunate that these statements have been commandeered and misused, which runs contrary to our intent."
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